President El-Sisi's Opening Speech at the COMESA Summit

“In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful"

His 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 pleasure to welcome you today at the 21st COMESA Summit, which Egypt is honored to host. I would have liked to receive you all here today, but developments pertinent to the coronavirus pandemic and related precautionary measures prevented this from happening. This prompted us to set a mechanism to convene the summit with a limited participation, hoping that when the next summit takes place, God will have saved us from this pandemic.

At the outset, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to His Excellency President Andry Rajoelina, the President of the Republic of Madagascar, for his genuine efforts during his country’s chairmanship of the COMESA and for the subsequent concrete achievements realized to strengthen regional economic integration. I would like to reiterate that Egypt will continue to work diligently during its COMESA chairmanship to build on what has been achieved in order to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the peoples of member states.

Allow me to welcome their Excellencies, the Heads of State and Government, who are leading their countries’ delegations for the first time, wishing them all success, and looking forward to working together to boost regional economic integration.

I would also like to thank the COMESA Secretariat for its persistent keenness to follow-up on the implementation of the treaty to establish the common market. This is in addition to holding periodic meetings and working in exceptional circumstances due to the challenges imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.

Your Excellencies… Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am confident that our meeting today will result in practical, constructive recommendations that serve the goals of regional economic integration. I reiterate that the government and people of Egypt welcome all the participating delegations in the 21st COMESA Summit, wishing you all success.

Thank you and peace be upon you