East African Delegation to China

(Press Release)—A delegation of Ministers responsible for East African Community (EAC) affairs and senior government officials of the Partner States is on a working visit to the Peoples’ Republic of China from 4 – 13 May 2008.

The delegation, which is led by the 1st Deputy Prime Minister/Minister for East African Community Affairs of Uganda and also Chairperson of the EAC Council of Ministers, Rt. Hon. Eriya Kategaya, consists of Hon. Amason J.Kingi, Minister of East African Community, Kenya; Hon. Dr. Diodorus Kamala, Minister for East African Cooperation of the United Republic of Tanzania; Hon. Monique Mukaruliza, Minister of East African Community, Rwanda; and Amb. Venerand Bakevyumusaya, Minister for Regional Integration and East African Community Affairs, Burundi. Others in the delegation include the Deputy Secretary General of the East African Community in charge of Projects and Programmes, Amb. Julius Baker Onen and other senior government officials.

The main focus of the EAC Ministerial visit is to learn from the Chinese experience in infrastructure development and to garner support and partnership in developing the region’s infrastructures. The result of the visit, including the robust perspectives and recommendations that came out of the Strategic EAC Retreats for Permanent Secretaries held in Mwanza, Tanzania from 3 - 4 March 2008, and that of the Ministers responsible for Infrastructure held on 17 - 18 April 2008 at the Munyonyo Resort in Kampala, Uganda will feed into the overall EAC Infrastructure Development Plan, which is under preparation.

While in China, the delegation will meet and hold talks with officials from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Commerce and Industry, Roads, Infrastructure and other key sectors. The delegation will also visit some selected infrastructural projects like hydro power stations, Roads and Railways Networks in some Provinces of the Peoples’ Republic of China.

The EAC Ministerial visit to China comes at an opportune time when the EAC integration process is deepening with the progress towards the establishment of the Common Market by 2010 and the recent enlargement of the Community by the admission of the Republics of Rwanda and Burundi. With these developments, the Community is well set on the path to deliver concrete achievements and tangible benefits of regional integration.

On various occasions, the Secretary General of the East African Community, Amb. Juma Mwapachu has stressed the significance of Infrastructure, to facilitate trade and investments, at a time when the EAC’s national economies were growing in response to the operations of the Customs Union and the move towards the establishment of the EAC Common Market.

Through the development of infrastructure, including roads, railways, civil aviation and telecommunications, the EAC aims to achieve not only higher standards of living in the region but also to make the region competitive and attractive for sustainable investment, trade and development and full integration into the global economic society.

Directorate of Corporate Communications & Public Affairs EAC Secretariat Arusha

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