The Minister of Commerce Osman Omer Al-Sharif has affirmed concern of the government with the COMESA, its programmes and activities as it performs effective and impressive acts through the commercial integration strategies among the African states.
The minister said, when he addressed at Al-Salam Rotana Monday a workshop on "The Customs Union of COMESA Countries", organized by the Department of COMESA at the Ministry of Commerce in collaboration with the Sudanese Customs Authority and COMESA Secretary, that the world progresses in accelerating strides towards unification and integration in various fields, specially in economic ones.
He referred to the Sudan strategic location and its membership in a fair amount of African and Arab blocs, adding that COMESA has been working to achieve regional integration agenda such as Preferential Trade Area, and Free Trade Zone and Customs Union.
The minister urged the member countries to comply fully with the implementation of the integration agenda being carried out by COMESA to realize the key objectives including trade liberalization by removing the customs barriers, improvement of livelihood of the citizens in the region, alleviation of poverty and realization of food security.
Al-Sharif expressed the government of Sudan appreciation to the COMESA secretary for its efforts in the integration of member countries, hoping that the workshop comes out with recommendations bolstering Sudan efforts and benefiting from its tremendous resources in the region.
The expert at COMESA secretary has stressed his support to the integration and the legal amendments for the laws contradicting the customs union of the member countries. He pointed out that the workshop aimed at indigenization of national acts with the COMESA and development of national plan that could be implemented.