CAIRO – Egypt chaired on Monday the third meeting of the Governance Council of the Arab Africa Trade Bridges (AATB) Programme. Egypt was represented by Minister of Planning and Economic Development and Egypt’s Governor at the Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB) Hala el-Said.
The meeting was attended by CEO of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) and AATB Secretary General Hani Sonbol, in addition to a number of Egyptian, Arab and African ministers, ambassadors, heads of financing institutions, members of the House of Representatives and Senate, in addition to representatives of the private sector.
The meeting comes as an opportunity for consultation and exchange of ideas, visions and successful experiences to promote the governments’ efforts to boost trade between African and Arab countries, Said said during her speech at the meeting.
The minister expressed Egypt’s appreciation of its continued fruitful cooperation with the ITFC, describing it as one of the most active member institutions of the Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB).
This cooperation has resulted in a cooperation finance portfolio between Egypt and the ITFC amounting to $13.8 billion so far, she noted.
Said added the Governance Council of the Arab Africa Trade Bridges (AATB) Programme aims to stimulate and boost trade and investment flows between Arab and African countries, develop the business sector, enhance the capability of current exporters, and create a generation of new exporters, especially in AATB member states.
The programme is also meant to develop new export products in current markets and open new markets in Africa via creating partnerships between Arab and African regions, and maximizing benefits from the promising economic opportunities available.
