CAIRO: An Egyptian-Sudanese committee announced plans to establish an industrial zone in Sudan on an area of 2 million square meters as well as an experimental farm on 100 acres for the production of wheat in Sudan, according to a statement from Egypt's trade ministry. Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf also received his Sudanese counterpart to discuss the development of trade and economic relations. A delegation of Egyptian and Sudanese experts will come together to study the situation of electricity and water to draft proper plans. Officials also announced that there would be cooperation in the private sector field. “The two sides welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Egyptian Junior Businessmen Association and the Association of Sudanese Youth Entrepreneurs to cooperate in areas of common interest,” the statement read. The industrial joint committee, which took place on May 22-24, was headed by Egyptian Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade Samir El-Sayyad and Sudanese Minister of Industry Awad Ahmed Al-Jaz. Both countries' ministers of agricultures were also present at the committee, which stressed on promoting all aspects of the economy, specifically agricultural investment. The outcome of the meetings was that both countries would comply with the provisions of the Greater Arab Free Trade agreement, especially with regards to “applying tariff reductions on all goods without exception.” Complying with the provisions of the Greater Arab Free Trade Agreement would ease the flow of goods between the two nations. Egyptian officials agreed to pay more attention to the Sudanese demand of increasing Egyptian agricultural and industrial exports including asphalt, medicine, fertilizer, and pesticides. Egyptian officials also announced that they would study Sudan's request of a natural gas pipeline in Wadi Halfa. Both countries accepted to have coordinating positions in international and regional forums, especially in the framework of negotiations on the Arab Customs Union and the detailed rules of origin in the framework of the League of Arab States.
