Egypt officially assumed the presidency of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Council of Ministers, succeeding Tanzania at the body's 16th session in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to a government statement on Monday, Mohamed El Gawsaky, Assistant Minister for Planning, Development, and Digital Transformation, received the chairmanship on behalf of Egypt and North Africa, during an opening session attended by DRC President Felix Antoine Tshisekedi. In a recorded address, Minister of Investment Hassan El-Khatib reaffirmed Egypt's commitment to fast-tracking AfCFTA implementation. He urged a swift conclusion to technical talks, especially on rules of origin for critical industries like garments and automobiles, and proposed hosting a special ministerial session in Egypt to forge a short-term roadmap aimed at boosting intra-African trade. Egypt's delegation actively engaged in preparatory talks ahead of the Council meeting, holding bilateral discussions focused on strengthening logistics links, infrastructure development, and trade financing. On the sidelines, El Gawsaky met with trade ministers from Zambia, the DRC, and South Africa to advance regional cooperation in logistics, finance, and infrastructure—key planks of Egypt's broader strategy to deepen continental integration. Egypt reiterated its full backing for AfCFTA's implementation, maintaining a central role in tariff schedule negotiations and efforts to open markets across West and Central Africa, particularly in the industrial and agricultural sectors. Cairo also pledged closer coordination with the AfCFTA Secretariat to align trade policies and strengthen dispute resolution mechanisms to ensure the deal's effective enforcement. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: Y.Yasser
