Jeddah, 10/9/2015G: H.E. Jean-Louis Billon, Côte d'Ivoire Minister of Commerce, is to inaugurate a coordination meeting of the African member countries of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) on 14 September 2015 in Abidjan. The 3-day meeting, co-organised by IDB and the Ivoirian Ministry of Planning and Development comes as part of IDB's efforts towards preparation for the 10th WTO Ministerial Conference to be held in Nairobi during 15-18 December 2015. The meeting is also part of IDB's
program for capacity building and provision of technical assistance on matters relating to WTO and regional integration among IDB MCs.
The meeting is an opportunity for participants to discuss the agenda for the Nairobi meeting, analyse issues raised in the Doha Agenda as well as the agreements reached during the 9th Ministerial Conference at Bali. The meeting is also expected to facilitate means to promote a common platform of interests, analyse the challenges encountered by African countries in implementing the Trade Facilitation Agreement. as well as review the implications of major regional trade agreements in terms of
realising regional integration .
Around 30 officials representing 26 African member countries of IDB are expected to participate in this meeting. Four experts from specialized international and regional organizations will present papers on the agenda.