Team in place to co-ordinate COMESA Summit

Source: Team in place to co-ordinate COMESA Summit** – herald**

Debra Matabvu

Senior Reporter

PREPARATIONS for the 25th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Summit, which Zimbabwe will host next month, are at an advanced stage, with a dedicated committee already in place to co-ordinate the high-level event.

More than 1 000 delegates are expected to attend the summit.

Led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the committee is overseeing preparations, including the identification and assessment of key infrastructure that will be used during the event.

Much of the infrastructure required for the summit is already in place following the successful hosting of the SADC Summit in 2024, with efforts focused on improvements and adjustments to accommodate the larger COMESA delegation.

Further upgrades will be undertaken at hotels, conference facilities and access roads to ensure they meet the requirements of the expected influx of delegates.

Zimbabwe is the vice chair of COMESA and is set to assume the Chairmanship of the regional bloc for 12 months from next month.

The transition follows the 24th COMESA Summit held in Nairobi, Kenya, in October last year.

At that summit, Kenya assumed the rotating chairmanship from Burundi, while Zimbabwe took over as vice chair, positioning the country to lead the bloc for the term.

In an interview, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira said preparations were progressing well, with the country set to leverage infrastructure developed for the 2024 SADC Summit.

“We have a committee that is looking at that and the Permanent Secretary (Foreign Affairs) and his team are busy with the preparations,” said Prof Murwira.

“You know the summit is going to be preceded by the meeting of officials and then the Council of Ministers and then the summit.

“In addition, we are also going to have a business conference and preparations are at an advanced stage.”

Prof Murwira said Zimbabwe’s recent diplomatic and regional achievements, including securing a seat on the United Nations Security Council, had further strengthened the country’s readiness to host major international events.

“We are on course. We are very excited by the fact that, just coming out of SADC, having won the UN Security Council seat, having also won the rights to host the Intra-Africa Trade Fair and hosting Expo 2029, we are really ready.

“Surely, COMESA is coming after SADC, which means the infrastructure was already prepared and we only have to improve and make sure that we are ready.

“We are looking forward to President Mnangagwa, taking over as Chairperson of COMESA,” he said.

Prof Murwira said President Mnangagwa’s Chairmanship would focus on advancing Africa’s economic integration agenda and strengthening regional co-operation.

“We are Pan-African and our issue is to integrate Africa and make sure that COMESA becomes a vehicle for integrating Africa economically and therefore enhance the integrity, dignity and prosperity of the people of Zimbabwe and the people of Africa.

“We are really prepared and we are looking forward to the summit. Normally, COMESA has a lot of delegates (and) we are expecting well over a thousand people coming because, as I said, there are several stages.

“And we are planning with this in mind.”

The COMESA Chairmanship follows President Mnangagwa’s recent tenure as Chairperson of SADC, underscoring Zimbabwe’s growing role in regional and continental affairs.

Established more than 30 years ago, COMESA is a regional economic community comprising 21 member States and is dedicated to promoting free trade, economic co-operation and sustainable development across Eastern and Southern Africa.

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