Significant progress has been made by the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to establish an enlarged Free Trade Area encompassing 26 countries in East and Southern Africa by 2012. A report presented to recent summits of COMESA and SADC said the three regional economic communities are committed towards deepening integration through the harmonisation of their trading arrangements. Chairperson of the Tripartite Taskforce, which is spearheading the implementation process, Ambassador Juma Mwapachu, said a draft plan of action on the Free Trade Area has been approved by the three secretariats for adoption at the forthcoming Tripartite Summit of the Heads of State and Government expected in early 2011. Source: AllAfrica. http://allafrica.com/stories/201009141128.html