Panafrican News Agency

Libya calls for completion of COMESA structures to facilitate movement of goods

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The chairman of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohamed al-Manfi, in a speech on Tuesday in Cairo at the opening ceremony of the 21st summit of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), called for the completion of the organisational structures and logistical and technical procedures that will ensure the smooth transition of goods in the COMESA space.

He said this will be done in a way that reduces the time and cost of moving goods between member states.

Al-Manfi called for a more integrated role for COMESA in the area of food production and the development of agricultural and production methods, through joint scientific and technical cooperation between the industrial and agricultural research centres of COMESA member countries, to create sustainable food security in the region.

The chairman of the Presidential Council stressed that Libya has been and is still one of the greatest supporters of development and prosperity on the African continent, recalling that over the past decades, it has seriously and persistently contributed to the building of African institutions, especially the African Union and COMESA.

He stressed that "as Libya is now going through a sensitive and critical transitional phase, during which the Libyan people will democratically decide on their future, we expect COMESA countries to contribute to strengthening security and economic stability in our country, because Libya's political, security and economic stability will restore its essential role in supporting and adopting African economic initiatives, and will enable it to actively engage in the Common Market programmes of the countries to the east and south of the continent.

In his speech, the chairman also commended the efforts made by COMESA countries to combat the coronavirus in member states, in coordination with the African Centre for Disease and Epidemiology of the African Union Commission, calling for more joint actions to address the waves of the epidemic that have begun to cast a shadow again on the international health and economic scene.

He stressed that the work to solve many international problems and dilemmas must start with this region, referring directly and explicitly to the problem of illegal immigration that has exhausted the world and Libya as a transit country.

"Preventing waves of migrants from meeting the waves of the Mediterranean is pure political fantasy, as long as the economic conditions in the countries of migration do not meet the most basic requirements of a decent life for millions of people," he stressed.

The chairman of the Libyan Presidential Council called on the European Union, its members, economic organisations and funding arms, to play a greater and more positive role in cooperation with COMESA and the African Union, to work towards sustainable economic development that takes into account, meets the aspirations of the continent's youth and guarantees their future.

At the end of his speech, Al-Manfi thanked Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi for the warm welcome, congratulating him on assuming the chairmanship of the COMESA and wishing him success for the good and prosperity of the organisation's member countries and the prosperity of their peoples.

He commended Malagasy President, Andrey Rajoelina, for his leadership of the organisation during the previous session.

-0- PANA BY/IS/SOC/BBA/VAO 23Nov2021