Sharm El Sheikh, June 9: President Arthur Peter Mutharika arrived Tuesday in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt where he will a attend heads of state Summit and sign the Tripartite Free Trade area for COMESA, SADC and East Africa Community (EAC).
The President accompanied by the First Lady Madam Gertrude Mutharika arrived at 3:30pm Egyptian local time and was met on arrival at Sharm El Sheikh International Airport by the Minister of Foreign affairs and International Cooperation Dr George Chaponda, The Malawi High Commissioner to Zambia David Bandawe and Malawi Charge D’affairs to Egypt and Egyptian government officials.
The summit started on 6th June 2015 with the meeting of government officials and other trade and industry technocrats in Africa.
The President will later in the evening attend a state banquet hosted by the President of Egypt Abdel Fattah el- Sisi at the International Maritim Congress Center in Sharma El Sheikh.
The Free Trade Area between East African Community, (EAC) Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) would create a market with a population of 625 million and gross domestic product of more than $1 trillion (900 billion euros).
Malawi is expected to benefit from the FTA through the increasing of international markets and free movement of goods within the 26 countries.
