President Uhuru Kenyatta is set to lead the signing ceremony for entry of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) into the six-nation East Africa Community (EAC) on Friday.
A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said DRC president Felix Antoine Tshisekedi will be in Nairobi for a two-day official visit from Thursday to Friday, which will also mark the signing ceremony.
“During the visit President Tshisekedi together with President Uhuru Kenyatta, Chair of the EAC Summit of Heads of State will sign the treaty of accession by Democratic Republic of Congo to the East Africa Community (EAC) at Statehouse Nairobi on 8th April 2022. The ceremony will be witnessed by Heads of State from the EAC Partner states. The Heads of State and Government will thereafter unveil the new map of the East African Community.” the Foreign Affairs ministry.
According to the EAC Secretary General, Peter Mathuki, the country’s admission comes with increased GDP and expanded market size making EAC a home to about 300 million people, which is mutually beneficial to the people of both EAC and DR Congo by providing employment and investment opportunities that come along with this new development.
“The EAC now spans from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean making the region competitive and easy to access the larger African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).” Peter Mathuki.
With lower tariffs on goods and the removal of trading restrictions among partner states, he added, we anticipate that goods and services will move more freely.
DRC’s admission was approved at the 19th Extraordinary Summit of EAC Heads of State conducted virtually.
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