Sudanese President Omar al Bashir will participate in the third COMESA-EAC-SADC Tripartite Summit of Heads of State and Government, which will take place Wednesday in Egypt’s Sharm El Sheikh city.

The three blocs stand for the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community.

Sudan had signed a declaration on starting negotiations for a free trade agreement between the two blocs during the summit’s second meeting in 2011 in South Africa, Sudanese presidential spokesman Mohamed Hatem Soliman said.

African leaders are expected to sign the free trade agreement during the summit in Egypt, the spokesman said.