All is set for the COMESA Meetings scheduled for Nairobi, Kenya starting on Monday 6th – 9th October 2025.
The first meeting will be the COMESA-EU Horticulture Connect which is expected to bring together buyers and horticulture producers from the European Union to interact with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs ) including women-owned businesses from the region. This engagement will strengthen capacity of the SMEs by them getting firsthand knowledge of EU market requirements, certification processes and quality standards, ensuring that they remain competitive in international trade.
Over the past years, COMESA Secretariat has been organising trade missions for SMEs from Member States to participate in EU Business Partnership Dialogues meant to enhance market access by connecting the SMEs with European buyers, investors and trade facilitators.
This has helped them secure export deals and expand distribution networks. “These engagements have been very helpful and contributed to the improved way of doing business for our SMEs,’’ said Ms Mshuka Kamwela, European Union Development Fund (EDF) Manager at COMESA Secretariat.
The EU-COMESA Connect will be followed by the 18th COMESA Business Forum and Exhibition where more than 300 businesspeople from across the region will gather to share innovation, trade, showcase their products and form partnerships.
“It offers a platform were business leaders, policymakers, innovators and investors from across the region gather annually to network and explore way of deepening trade and collaboration,” COMESA Business Council Chief Executive Officer Mr Teddy Soobramanien said ahead of the Forum.
The 20th Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs will be held on 8th October 2025. The meeting will review the peace and security situation in the COMESA region and map ways of promoting peace, promoting democracy and encouraging dialogue in conflict resolution. “This meeting will bring together Ministers who deal with peace and Security. They will receive a detailed report on the current situation and they will guide how the region moves forward,” Dr Oita Etyang Head of the Governance Peace and Security Unit added.
This will culminate into the 24th COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit to be held on 9th October. All the meetings will take place at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC).
Kenya’s President His Excellency William Ruto is expected to take over as Chairperson of the COMESA Authority for a period of one-year. The current Chair of the Authority, Burundi’s President His Excellency President Evariste Ndayishimiye will handover to President Ruto.
The theme for this years’ Summit is Leveraging Digitization to Deepen Regional Value Chains for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth.