Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Director-General of the World Trade Organization, WTO, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has met with Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Badr Ahmed Abdelatty, to discuss key trade priorities, including Egypt’s role as a net food-importing country, Africa’s transition to a clean energy economy, and the continent’s trade imbalances.
The high-level engagement covered a wide range of critical issues shaping Egypt’s trade relationship with the WTO, such as the need to foster greater intra-African and external trade, carbon pricing, the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, CBAM, and ongoing negotiations on fisheries subsidies (Fish 1 & 2).
Tweeting after the meeting on her official X handle, the WTO boss said the discussions also explored Africa’s green comparative advantage in the global economy and the continent’s position ahead of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14).
Describing the exchange as “a very substantive engagement,” Okonjo-Iweala underscored Egypt’s strategic role in shaping global trade policies and multilateral negotiations.
The dialogue comes at a pivotal moment as Africa seeks to strengthen its trade position, leverage sustainable economic opportunities, and address structural imbalances in global commerce.
