The 6th Extra-Ordinary Summit of the East African Community will be held in Arusha next Monday, 20 August 2007.

By Leo Odera Omolo

The 6th Extra-Ordinary Summit of the East African Community will be held in Arusha next Monday, 20 August 2007.

The five EAC Heads of State - President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya , President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni of Uganda , President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of Tanzania , President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi - will attend the Summit Meeting.

During the 6th Extra-ordinary Summit, the EAC Heads of State will consider a Progress Report on the National Consultations on the Process of Fast Tracking the Establishment of the East African Political Federation; a Report on the EAC Position on Negotiations of an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union; a Report of the Council of Ministers' Proposals for Amendment of the Treaty; and a Report on the Progress on the Study on the Establishment of the East African Community Common Market.

Meanwhile, the series of preparatory meetings for the 6th Extra-Ordinary Summit of Heads of State started here today, 14 August with the Meeting of Senior Officials of the Co-ordination Committee which was opened by the Deputy Secretary General (Finance and Administration) of the EAC, Dr Julius Tangus Rotich.

Dr Rotich said the upcoming Summit Meeting was set against the background of the recent enlargement of the Community, with the admission of Rwanda and Burundi . He said the enlargement of the Community held great opportunities and prospects for a resurgent Community and rapid socio-economic transformation of the East African region. He said the good progress being made in the EAC Customs Union as well as the intensification of the regional infrastructure development programme gave confidence as the EAC engaged in the ongoing process towards the establishment of the Common Market.

The meeting of the Senior Officials will be followed by the Meeting of the Co-ordination Committee (Permanent Secretaries) on Thursday, 16 August; and the 16th Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers on Friday 17 August 2007 to make preparations for the 6th Extra-Ordinary Summit which will be held on Monday 20 August 2007.

The 16th Extra-Ordinary Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the East African Community on 17 August 2007 will be attended by the Rt. Hon. Eriya Kategaya, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East African Affairs of the Republic of Uganda who is also the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the East African Community; Hon John Arap Koech, Minister of East African Community of the Republic of Kenya; Hon. Dr Ibrahim Msabaha, Minister of East African Co-operation of the United Republic of Tanzania; Hon Charles Murigande, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Co-operation, Rwanda; and Hon. Karenga Ramadhani, Minister of Regional Integration, Burundi.

ENDS

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