EAC SECRETARY GENERAL HOLDS TALKS WITH GERMAN PARLIAMENTARIANS.

The Secretary General of the East African Community Amb. Dr. Richard Sezibera this Monday June,4^th,2012 held talks with a group of German parliamentarians led by Hon. Patrick Meinhardt who called on him at his offices in Arusha.

The German MPs were on a working visit to the headquarters of the Community to learn about the latest developments in the integration process including the expansion of the bloc.

Amb. Sezibera briefed the parliamentarians on the ongoing implementation of the Customs Union and the Common Market protocols, noting that since the Customs Union Protocol was launched in 2005, intra-regional trade had tremendously increased from US$2bn in 2005 to over US$4bn in 2010.

He said despite some teething problems in the implementation of the Common Market Protocol, Partner States were working on the harmonization of the national laws to conform to the provisions of the Protocol. He informed his guests that negotiations for a monetary union were in high gear and Partner States were looking at concluding the negotiations and having the Protocol signed by the end of this year.

Amb. Sezibera informed his guests that unlike other regional economic groupings, the EAC had the ultimate goal of a political federation and negotiation of the necessary policy instruments and engaging with diverse stakeholders in the political integration agenda were ongoing.

The policy instruments include draft EAC Protocol on Good Governance, draft EAC Protocol on Preventing and Combating Corruption and EAC Principles on Elections Observation and Evaluation, which once concluded and signed will set in motion a new dispensation that will help consolidate the gains made in political integration.

He informed the MPs that Partner States had signed a Protocol on Cooperation in Defense and was set to be ratified by 30 November 2012 after which a Mutual Defense Pact will be negotiated and concluded within one year. The Protocol will holistically address cross-cutting security challenges that affect the EAC region.

The Secretary General reiterated that substantial progress had been made towards the conclusion of the protocol on peace and security; measures were being implemented to address challenges posed by money laundering, piracy, and terrorism among other threats that are likely to impact negatively on the rights and freedoms provided for in the Common Market Protocol.

A regional mediation framework as well as an Early Warning Mechanism had been developed and were awaiting conclusion of the EAC Peace and Security Protocol. Amb. Sezibera highlighted the regional infrastructure projects that were ongoing and were critical in the development of the region in the rail, roads, ports and harbors and energy sectors.

The Secretary General disclosed to his guests that South Sudan and Somalia had applied to join the Community. He said a verification team was being dispatched this month to Juba to ascertain South Sudan’s readiness to join EAC. He noted that the team will verify, among others, if South Sudan is in position to join the East African Community Customs Union.

Amb. Sezibera hailed the German Government for donating towards the construction of the new EAC headquarters in Arusha, saying “the building is a visible symbol of the EAC-German cooperation”.

He said official overall work progress on the new building was at 95% and the Community and its Organs will start occupying it by the start of the next Financial Year and the Summit of the EAC Heads of State is expected to officially inaugurate the building at a later date.

Hon. Patrick Meinhardt, who is also a member of the Executive Committee of the FDP Parliamentary Group and Chairman of the German-East Africa Parliamentary Friends Group, applauded the Secretary General and his team for the well focused leadership and commitment to the integration process.

He said: “This is an incredible process and the German Government and as well as its people are behind the integration process in the East African Community”, adding that “a good foundation is being laid in the integration process and the German Government is happy to be associated and is ready to support this project”.

Other members of the visiting team included Hon. Johannes Tinghammer, the Deputy Chairman CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group and Hon. Johannes Selle from CDU/CSU. HE Klaus-Peter Brandes the Federal Republic of Germany Ambassador to the United Republic of Tanzania and representative to the EAC bloc, as well as other embassy officials accompanied the parliamentarians to the EAC headquarters.