EAC Secretary General pays courtesy call on Hon. Prof. Palamagamba Kabudi, Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Tanzania
East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 12th September, 2019: The EAC Secretary General, Amb. Liberat Mfumukeko paid a courtesy call on Hon. Minister Prof. Palamagamba Kabudi in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday 10th September, 2019. This was the first visit by the Secretary General to the Tanzanian Ministry since the appointment of Prof. Kabudi as Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation.
The Secretary General briefed the Minister on a number of issues in the Community including an update on the progress of implementation of the key pillars of integration, operational challenges at the EAC, an update on the financial situation, reforms at EAC, the upcoming celebrations of 20th Anniversary among others. The Secretary General assured the Minister that EAC is still steady despite some operational challenges.
On his part, the Minister commended and thanked Secretary General for the visit. He encouraged the Secretary General to be visiting Ministers in theirrespective capitals for detailed briefing which is not possible when Ministers visit Arusha due to their tight schedules. Prof. Kabudi assured the Secretary General of Tanzania’s commitment to the EAC Agenda. He emphasized that at this time, EAC should be more practical and asthmatic in addressing key issues.
He recognized that the Community is still young and fragile and therefore emphasized the importance of the consensus approach in decision making. The Minister who is also responsible for the EAC and Foreign Affairs assured the Secretary General and his team that he gives equal importance to the two dockets. He emphasized on the need to strengthen Economic Diplomacy in Africa.
The Minister informed Secretary General that Tanzania has assumed the Chairmanship of SADC and that among the key priorities during Tanzania Chairmanship is to increase inter-trade, making Swahili a SADC language, fast tracking admission of Burundi to SADC and lifting of sanctions against Zimbabwe.
The Secretary General was accompanied by Eng. Steven Mlote, Deputy Secretary in charge of Planning and Infrastructure who also updated the Hon. Kabudi on the key infrastructural projects coordinated by the EAC.
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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 Sudna, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.
The EAC Secretariat is ISO 9001: 2008 Certified