CAIRO, February 28, 2018 - Egypt is to take part in the preparatory meeting of the African Ministers of Trade (AMOT) that will be held in Kigali, Rwanda by the end of next week to discuss creating a continental free trade area (CFTA) with all the 54 African Union countries. The CFTA proposal aims to help the growth of intra-regional trade, and the establishment of a single free trade zone with a total gross domestic product (GDP) of US$3 trillion. The statements came during a meeting between the Minister of Trade and Industry, Tarek Qabil, and his Nigerian counterpart, Aisha Abubakar, who is currently on an official visit to Cairo. During the meeting, the two ministers asserted the need to boost economic ties between Egypt and Nigeria. Nigerian Minister Abubakar said that currently many changes are happening on the African continent. She said both countries must collaborate to boost development in Africa, and co-operate in the spheres of industry, energy, and technical education.