Minister of Trade and Industry Nevine Gamea met with some ministers participating in the second Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) that is being held in Geneva, including her South African And Lebanese counterparts. During her meeting with South African Minister of Trade and Industry Ebrahim Patel, Gamea reviewed the course of trade, economic, and investment relations between Egypt and South Africa and ways to enhance cooperation at the bilateral and regional levels. The meeting also dealt with following up executive steps of discussions, views, and visions that were presented during a previous meeting between the two ministers in Durban, South Africa, last November. Furthermore, the meeting tackled the importance of consultation and the continuous exchange of views between the two largest economies in Africa — whether on the bilateral or multilateral levels — in a way that serves coordination and consensus on issues raised at the WTO that affect the interests of developing countries and emerging markets. For his part, Patel expressed his country's keenness to strengthen economic relations with Egypt, pointing out that achieving integration between the two sides represents an important step towards strengthening continental cooperation, especially in light of the membership of Egypt and South Africa in the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA). Gamea also held a meeting with Lebanese Minister of Economy Amin Salam in which they discussed ways to develop economic relations between Egypt and Lebanon, as well as the development of trade movement between the two countries during the next period. The meeting covered a number of economic issues and files on regional and global arenas as well. The minister said that there is a desire from the Lebanese side to benefit from Egypt's great experience in combating subsidies and dumping through the Egyptian commercial processing sector, training Lebanese cadres, and exchanging experiences. In response, Gamea stressed Egypt's keenness to provide all support and assistance to the Lebanese side, noting the country's support for Lebanon's accession to the WTO. For his part, Salam affirmed his country's keenness to expand cooperation between the two countries in various fields and at all levels, highlighting that the Lebanese government aspires to increase the rates of trade exchange between the two countries, especially with regard to food products and agricultural crops, as Lebanon imports about 90% of its needs.
