East African Community to Be Formally LaunchedThe formal inauguration of the East African Community (EAC) will be launched on January 15 in Tanzania's northern town of Arusha, newspapers reported on Friday.The inauguration ceremony will be presided over by the three East African heads of state, namely Daniel arap Moi of Kenya, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania. Moi will chair the first heads of state summit ushering in the revival of the regional body. The event, regarded as the culmination of a long process spanning over 16 years to establish the regional body, will rekindle the spirit of regional cooperation and provide an impetus to the implementation process of the EAC treaty signed in 1999. According to a statement from the EAC headquarters in Arusha, a series of preparatory meetings for the summit have been in progress, including an EAC Coordination Committee meeting to be held during January 8 -10 and the first meeting of the council of ministers on January 13. |
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