Egypt and Gabon sign trade agreement
Trade and Industry Minister Tarek Kabil signed a trade cooperation agreement with his Gabonese counterpart on Wednesday, according to Al Masry Al Youm. The agreement will establish a joint trade committee to help boost both countries’ economic relations. Kabil also said that the two sides are studying the possibility of setting up a lumber plant in Gabon with Egyptian investments. The agreement came during President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s visit to Gabon as part of his Africa tour, which takes him to Chad today.
El Sisi’s talks with Gabon’s President Ali Bongo yesterday had centered around cooperation and increasing mutual investments, especially in the health sector, an Ittihadiya statement said (pdf). African and regional security, as well as environmental issues were also on the agenda. El Sisi also invited President Bongo to attend the upcoming Youth Conference in Cairo and the Africa 2017 forum set to take place in Sharm El Sheikh in December.