Government has urged the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) to Increase intra-regional trade to assist in reducing poverty through job creation amongst people of the member states.
Zambia’s Attorney General (AG), Likando Kalaluka said that increased intra-regional trade would assist in reducing poverty levels through job creation for youths that will subsequently improve the living standards of the people.
ZANIS reports that Mr. Kalaluka was speaking at the opening of the nineteenth meeting of COMESA Ministers of Justice and Attorneys General held in Lusaka where he was Guest of Honour.
The AG appealed to COMESA to address issues affecting the economies with a view to enhancing regional market for private sector to be able to do business with ease and at low costs.
Mr. Kalaluka further urged COMESA to address issues aimed at enhancing the implementation of the COMESA integration agenda by ensuring that member states are safe and have secure environments where the rule of law flourishes.
He stated that through the COMESA court, a signal to the world should be sent that COMESA is ready to do business and is indeed a safe investment destination where the rule of law is applied.
And speaking at the same occasion, President of the Court of Justice of COMESA, Justice Lombe Chibesakunda commended the COMESA court for legally creating a conducive environment for doing business within the COMESA region.
Justice Chibesakunda expressed happiness with the considerable progress that has been made to update the rules of the court within COMESA.
And COMESA Secretary General Sindiso Ngwenya congratulated Zambians and its government for holding peaceful, free and fair general elections.
In a speech read on his behalf by his Assistant Ambassador Kipyego Cheloget, Mr Ngwenya added that COMESA is delighted to having been hosted by the republic of Zambia for the past two decades and cherished the pleasant and harmonious relationship.
And Mr. Ngwenya revealed that Somalia and Tunisia have applied to join COMESA.
He said the two countries have submitted formal requests to join COMESA upon seeing the good work that benefits member states of COMESA.
The nineteenth meeting of COMESA Ministers of Justice and Attorney General’s agenda is aimed at addressing various issues in order to enhance the implementation of the COMESA integration.
The COMESA Ministers of Justice and Attorneys General meeting will also identify and appoint a suitable candidate to replace the late Andrew Mutema of the COMESA court of Justice, who died on August, 2015.
