Egypt, Turkey, and France Ambassadors to Zambia have been accredited as representatives of their respective countries to COMESA. In a brief ceremony at the COMESA Secretariat in Lusaka Monday, February 10, 2025, the three presented their letters of credence to Secretary General Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe, marking a new chapter in international cooperation.
H.E. Ms. Mayada Essam Abdelrahman was accredited as Permanent Representative of Egypt to COMESA, as her country is a Member State of the regio al bloc. H.E. Hüseyin Barbaros Dicle of Turkey and H.E. Mr. Thomas Rossignol were accredited as Special Representatives of their respective countries.
The ceremony highlighted the commitment of these nations to strengthen ties with COMESA in areas such as trade, investment, culture, peace, and security. Ambassador Rossignol said that the French government will continue to pursue collaborative initiatives with COMESA in various sectors emphasizing the importance of regional integration.
“As a French person, issues surrounding regional integration and the free movement of people are very close to my heart,” he said.
Ambassador Abdelrahman commended COMESA’s regional integration initiatives, stating, “Egypt has always supported the COMESA Secretariat in its quest to implement integration programs aimed at uplifting living standards of the people in the region.”
Ambassador Dicle highlighted Turkey’s commitment to empowering women-led businesses, a vision supported by Turkey’s First Lady.
“We will focus on expert exchanges, institutional capacity building, and addressing gender issues in collaboration with the COMESA team,” he noted.
Secretary General Kapwepwe acknowledged the valuable partnerships COMESA has built with these nations. She stated that France, in particular, has been a significant supporter through the European Union, which has funded numerous COMESA programs.
“Each year, France provides funding to enhance the use of French, one of our official languages. We hope to further strengthen this relationship,” she explained.
On the cooperation front with Egypt, Ms. Kapwepwe praised the country as a strong advocate for regional integration, noting its impressive export growth within COMESA—rising to 24.1% of trade in 2022 from 22.2% the previous year.
“Egypt’s leadership in facilitating intra-COMESA trade is commendable,” she remarked.
Turning to Turkey, the Secretary General highlighted its emerging role as a vital partner for Africa. She expressed optimism regarding Turkey’s engagement with the continent, citing initiatives like the Turkey-Africa Economic and Business Forum that pave the way for collaboration.
“Turkey’s expertise in agriculture, health, and tourism can offer immense benefits to our region,” she asserted.
The Secretary General further emphasized COMESA’s commitment to nurturing and expanding its partnerships, and cooperation with Egypt, Turkey, and France which will result in enhanced socio-economic landscape of the region.