African experts and ministers of finance, planning and economic development on Friday extolled Ethiopia for ratifying the instrument instituting the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The Ethiopian House of People’s Representative, the Ethiopian parliament’s lower house, on Thursday ratified the continental free trade pact, making the East African country the 21st African country to ratify the free trade pact that requires 22 ratifications for entry into force, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) said. They expressed positive remarks regarding AfCFTA’s progress during a continental meeting hosted by the ECA in Marrakech, Morocco, the ECA said in a statement. Experts and policymakers also hailed ECA’s support to the African Union (AU) and its member states in formulating, negotiating, and adhering to the agreement. According to figures from the AU, some 52 African countries have so far signed the free trade pact.

Source: Ethiopian News March 25, 2019 22:07 UTC