The WAEMU Commissioner in charge of the Department of Regional Market and Cooperation briefed Minister Moussa Alassane DIALLO on progress with the Union’s initiatives under his Department

The meeting took place on 3 July 2025 at the Minister’s office in Bamako. The Commissioner was accompanied by Roberto Alexandre VIEIRA, Resident Representative of the Commission of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) in Mali, and Rose TIEMOKO KABRAN, Director of Trade.

Discussions covered in particular the interim Economic Partnership Agreement (iEPA), the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the organisation of the “October, Buy Local Month” initiative.

The implementation of the Support Programme for Competition and Consumer Product Safety in Sub-Saharan Africa (PACoSPro) was also discussed during the meeting.

Commissioner Filiga Michel SAWADOGO sought the Minister’s support for the transposition in Mali of the Directive on the digitalisation of procedures and of customs and foreign trade formalities within WAEMU.

Minister Moussa Alassane DIALLO reiterated the Malian authorities’ readiness to transpose the Directive into national law. Regarding the impact of the trade agreements (AfCFTA and iEPA), the Minister called on the Commission to speed up its work on studies of their impact on the Union’s economies.

The Commissioner is currently in Bamako, where he took part in a capacity-building workshop for Malian experts on the Community directive on the digitalisation of procedures and of customs and foreign trade formalities.