Egypt will participate in talks on establishing a free trade zone comprising all African states, Adviser to Minister of Industry and Foreign Trade Sayed el Bous said on Thursday.

This comes upon the African leaders' agreement to set up the free trade zone by 2017, he added.

He made the remarks during his participation in a conference on agriculture exports.

The agreement inked between the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC), and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) is the basis for the expected negotiations on the African free trade zone.

The reason behind this African free trade zone is to boost African inter-trade rates and push forward joint investments to help achieve economic development in Africa, he asserted.

Source: MENA