UK to Strengthen Ties with East African Community

Written on 14 February 2017. Posted in International Relations

East African Community Secretariat; Arusha, Tanzania; 14 February 2017:

The United Kingdom will strengthen trade and investment links with the East African Community Partner States for mutual benefit.

UK High Commissioner to the United Republic of Tanzania and the EAC, Her Excellency Sarah Cooke, said that her country would remain an outward-focused trade-based economy with strong partnerships with other countries and regional economic blocs even in the wake of Brexit.

Ms. Cooke said the UK would create new partnerships with the EAC aimed at promoting private sector-led economic growth for employment creation and poverty reduction in the East African region.

The envoy disclosed that the UK was the biggest contributor to TradeMark East Africa (TMEA), adding that the funding to TMEA was being utilised to finance technical assistance to the EAC in sectors such as customs, trade, investment and video teleconferencing.

The High Commissioner made the remarks when she presented her credentials to the EAC Secretary General, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko, at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania today.

Ms. Cooke hailed Amb. Mfumukeko for his efforts in strengthening efficiency and reforming public expenditure within the EAC.

In his remarks, Amb. Mfumukeko thanked the UK for its generous support to the EAC over the years singling out the TMEA funding which he said had resulted in numerous benefits to the Partner States especially in revenue collection and investment promotion.

Amb. Mfumukeko said his priorities over the next four years would be to: promote the free movement of persons and labour as enshrined in the EAC Common Market Protocol; increase investment for job creation, and; improve agriculture to ensure food security and create employment for the youth in East Africa.

Accompanying the High Commissioner to the function was Mr. Tim Lamont, Senior Growth, Trade and Investment Advisor (East Africa) at the Department for International Development Office in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

TMEA is an East African not-for-profit company established in 2010 to support the growth of trade – both regional and international – in East Africa. TMEA is focused on ensuring that gains from trade result in tangible gains for East Africans.

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For more information, please contact:

Mr Owora Richard Othieno
Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255 784 835021
Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org

About the East African Community Secretariat:

The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

Italy accredits envoy to EAC bloc

Written on 05 December 2016. Posted in International Relations

The Italian Government has appointed Counsellor Roberto Mengoni as Italy’s Permanent Representative to the East African Community.

The Envoy (Roberto Mengoni), who is also the Italian Ambassador to the United Republic of Tanzania, presented his letter of accreditation signed by the Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Paolo Gentiloni, to the EAC Secretary General, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko, today at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.

Welcoming Amb. Mengoni to the EAC Headquarters, the Secretary General commended the Italian Government and people for showing interest in furthering the existing cooperation between Italy and the Community.

Amb. Mfumukeko briefed the Envoy on the key millstones recorded in integration process and pledged to link up the envoy with the the East African Business Council through which Italian investors could explore available opportunities.

On his part, Amb. Mengoni commended the EAC Secretariat for spearheading the integration agenda and highlighted a few areas that the Italian Government was interested in supporting the EAC, especially the Renewable Energy sector. He disclosed that his government was pushing for a policy change on Africa that will see a more robust engagement with the continent and the EAC.

Amb. Mfumukekeko and his guest also discussed also the status of negotiations of the EAC-EU Economic Partnership Agreement and the Inter-Burundi dialogue. With regard to the Inter-Burundi Dialogue, Amb. Mengoni hailed the efforts of the Facilitator, H.E. Benjamin Mkapa, and the EAC Secretariat in spearheading the process and called upon all the parties and stakeholders to give peace a chance in Burundi.

Also present at the ceremony was the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors, Hon. Christophe Bazivamo.