Importance of Economic Integration highlighted at 22nd Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Heads of State and Government Summit

Importance of Economic Integration highlighted at 22nd Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Heads of State and Government Summit

The Vice President of the Republic of Seychelles, Mr. Ahmed Afif, led the Seychelles delegation to the 22nd Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Heads of State and Government Summit in Lusaka, Zambia, which took place on 8th June 2023. The opening ceremony of this year’s Summit witnessed the transfer of the Chair of the Authority from the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, to the President of the Republic of Zambia.

The Summit was the first to be held in person since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The theme centered on economic integration for a thriving COMESA region, with emphasis on green investment, value addition, and tourism. In his address to the Summit, the Vice President recognised the importance of green investments and reiterated the need for greater attention to be directed towards investments in relation to the ocean. He commended the Secretariat’s efforts in developing a COMESA Regional Blue Economy Strategy which calls for increased investment in the blue economy sector.

Furthermore, Vice President Afif stressed on the importance of value addition, which was also discussed at length during the preceding Business Council Forum. He emphasized that through investments in technology, research and development, and skills training,