In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”

Your Excellency, President Andry Rajoelina, President of the Republic of Madagascar, and Chairperson of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)

Your Highnesses, Heads of State and Government of COMESA

Mrs. Chileshe Kapwepwe, COMESA Secretary General

Heads and Representatives of regional and international organizations

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you today to the 21st COMESA Summit, which Egypt is honored to host.

I would have liked to be honored by receiving you all, but the developments of the coronavirus pandemic and the precautionary measures prevented that.

This has prompted us to devise a mechanism for holding the Summit with a limited number of participants, in the hope that by the next summit; God will have saved us from the pandemic.

In the beginning, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to His Excellency President Andry Rajoelina, President of the Republic of Madagascar, for his sincere efforts during his country’s presidency of COMESA and the resulting tangible achievements realized to strengthen regional economic integration.

I also reiterate that Egypt will make every effort during its COMESA presidency to build on what has been accomplished in order to realize the hopes and aspirations of member state peoples.

Allow me to welcome their Excellencies, Heads of State and Government who are leading their countries delegations for the first time, wishing them the very best and looking forward to work with them to promote regional economic integration.

I would also like to extend my sincere thanks for COMESA Secretariat for its constant keenness on following-up the implementation of the treaty to establish the common market.

This is in addition to holding meetings regularly and working in exceptional circumstances as a result of challenges imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Your Excellences… Ladies and Gentlemen

I am confident that our meeting today will go out with practical constructive recommendations to serve the aims of the regional economic integration. Once again, I reaffirm that Egypt’s government and people welcome all the participating delegations in the 21st COMESA Summit, wishing them all success.

Thank You

May God’s Peace and Mercy be Upon You

Source: State Information Service Egypt