President Cyril Ramaphosa, in his capacity as the African Union (AU) Chairperson, has assured African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretary General, Wamkele Mene, of his unwavering support in the execution of his duties to promote the AfCFTA.

President Ramaphosa gave Mene his support during the handover ceremony of the AfCFTA Secretariat building in Accra, Ghana, to the African Union Commission (AUC).

Ghana was selected to host the AfCFTA Secretariat by AU Member States on the occasion of the 12th AU Extraordinary Summit in Niamey, Niger, in July 2019.

President Ramaphosa has, on behalf of the AU and the continent, expressed his profound gratitude to the government and people of Ghana for generously offering the building that houses the AfCFTA.

"This day is indeed a milestone and a strong affirmation of the vision of an integrated Africa, which was envisioned by the founding fathers of the OAU, including Kwame Nkrumah, 57 years ago.

"It is a fitting tribute that the AfCFTA headquarters are being housed in Ghana," said President Ramaphosa.

President Ramaphosa has also assured the Secretary General of the AU's commitment to the successful implementation of the AfCFTA, as a practical contribution to the economic development of Africa. He welcomed the progress achieved thus far in the implementation of the 12th AU Extraordinary Summit.

President Ramaphosa also acknowledged the challenges that exist in the negotiations, particularly around the issue of the Rules of Origin and trade offers, as well as trade in services.

"We are confident that through your leadership and the determination of the AU Member States, all bracketed issues should be resolved," President Ramaphosa said.

Mene is the first Secretary General of the AfCFTA. He was elected in February 2020 with a mandate to administer the free trade agreement, which creates a single market for AU Member States, with a combined population of over 1 billion and a total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of about US $2.5 trillion.

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