Russian Ambassador pays courtesy call on EAC Secretary General
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 27th April, 2021:The Ambassador -at-large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and Head of Secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership, H.E. Oleg Ozerov, yesterday paid a courtesy call on the EAC Secretary General, Hon. Dr. Peter Mathuki in Arusha Tanzania.
While receiving the Russian Envoy, the Secretary General of the East African Community, hailed the existing cordial relations between the EAC and Russia. The Secretary General welcomed the support from the Russian Government geared towards enabling the Community to achieve its ambitious agenda.
Dr. Mathuki disclosed to Amb Ozerov that EAC is the fastest growing regional economic bloc in Africa and is anchored on a clear vision with four Pillars of integration which are the Customs Union, the Common Market, the Monetary Union and ultimately the Political Federation.
On his part, Mr. Ozerov informed the Secretary General that there was existing collaboration between Russian Government and the East African Community and EAC had attended the Africa-Russia Summit held in Sochi, Russia in 2019. There was intention to develop trade between EAC Partners States and Russia using the EAC Ambassadors in Moscow, added Amb Ozerov.
H.E Ozerov disclosed to the Secretary General that the meeting in Sochi, a Secretariat for Association of Cooperation with African Countries was formed. He pointed out that there are various areas where EAC and Russia could collaborate through the Eurasian Economic Union (EEC) which include projects in cross-border infrastructure, including electricity, oil, gas, pipelines, as well as pharmaceuticals, screening and vaccination against viruses and common border laboratories to control standards of goods for Single Customs Territory (SCT) and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures.
The Secretary General emphasized the need to formalize cooperation between the two parties where EAC would identify priority areas of cooperation and called upon the Ambassador to see the possibility to support response to COVID-19 for economic recovery including testing, vaccination and other technologies, as well as pilot disinfection system at selected border posts and at the EAC Secretariat.
Speaking at the same occasion, Rt. Hon. Martin Ngoga, Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly who accompanied the Secretary General expressed his appreciation of Russia’s cooperation approach with Africa, and that the AU Agenda 2060 brings out emphasis on working through RECs as drivers for continental integration.
The Rt. Hon. Speaker highlighted the issue of One Network Area connectivity and One Stop Border Posts as some of the achievements of the EAC where further support would be required.
To kick-start the cooperation, the meeting agreed to commence the preparations of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between EAC and the Eurasian Economic Commission/Russian Government on mutually identified priority areas of economic cooperation.
Present at the courtesy call were Mr. Dmitry Ezhov, Head of International Cooperation Section of the Eurasian Economic Commission and Mr. Vyacheslav Karasev of the Russian Embassy to the United Republic of Tanzania in Dar es Salaam.
For more information, please contact:
Simon Peter Owaka
Senior Public Relations Officer
Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255 768 552087
Email: sowaka [at] eachq.org
About the East African Community Secretariat:
The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of six Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The EAC Secretariat is ISO 9001: 2015 Certified