Egypt's political leadership is keen on fast-tracking steps for the entry into force of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) to achieve economic integration and comprehensive strategic partnership among the African countries, the Trade and Industry Ministry said in a statement. The statement was released on Tuesday after Trade and Industry Minister Amr Nassar's meeting with a delegation of the African Union, headed by AU Technical Adviser on Regional Integration Rosette Katungi. It pointed out that the ministry's plan for boosting economic cooperation with the African states is based on sharing trade and industrial expertise between Egypt and African countries and setting up projects between the Egyptian and African private sectors. AfCFTA will contribute to bolstering intra-African trade and achieving higher economic and industrial growth rates for the continent, it stressed. The meeting touched on Egypt's bid to host the headquarters of AfCFTA's executive secretariat. Katungi, for her part, said the AU delegation's visit to Cairo comes as a part of a series of field visits it is paying to African countries to assess their bids for hosting AfCFTA's head office.
