The Ambassadors of Egypt, Turkey, and France to Zambia have been accredited as representatives to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). The accreditation ceremony was held at the COMESA Secretariat in Lusaka on Monday, 10 February 2025, where the diplomats 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 the Permanent Representative of Egypt to COMESA, as Egypt is a Member State of the regional bloc. H.E. Hüseyin Barbaros Dicle of Turkey and H.E. Mr Thomas Rossignol of France were accredited as Special Representatives of their respective nations.
The ceremony underscored these countries’ commitment to strengthening ties with COMESA in areas such as trade, investment, culture, peace, and security. Ambassador Rossignol affirmed France’s dedication to collaborative initiatives with COMESA, highlighting the significance of regional integration.
“As a French national, issues related to regional integration and the free movement of people are very close to my heart,” he stated.
Ambassador Abdelrahman commended COMESA’s regional integration efforts, saying: “Egypt has always supported the COMESA Secretariat in its mission to implement integration programmes aimed at improving living standards across the region.”
Ambassador Dicle emphasised Turkey’s commitment to empowering women-led businesses, a vision championed 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, particularly highlighting France’s support through the European Union, which has funded numerous COMESA programmes.
“Each year, France provides funding to enhance the use of French, one of our official languages. We look forward to further strengthening this relationship,” she explained.
Regarding cooperation with Egypt, Ms Kapwepwe praised the country as a strong advocate for regional integration, citing its 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.
On Turkey’s engagement, the Secretary General highlighted its growing role as a key partner for Africa. She expressed optimism about Turkey’s collaboration with the continent, citing initiatives such as the Turkey-Africa Economic and Business Forum, which foster stronger ties.
“Turkey’s expertise in agriculture, health, and tourism offers immense benefits to our region,” she asserted.
The Secretary General reiterated COMESA’s commitment to strengthening and expanding its partnerships, emphasising that cooperation with Egypt, Turkey, and France will contribute significantly to the socio-economic development of the region.
