The EAC will target greater cooperation in defence matters, implementation of the Common Market, and making progress on the Monetary Union and the Political Federation, the Secretary General Ambassador Juma Mwapachu has said.

In his new year message to the staff of the secretariat, Ambassador Mwapachu said that the revival of negotiations for the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and plans for the community's first ever summit on Food Security and Climate Change will be addressed.

 

He described the past year as a watershed as far as regional integration is concerned.

He noted the successful 10th anniversary celebrations and their role in elevating the identity and credibility of the EAC, and hailed staff for the diligence and commitment that has catapulted the EAC into a model regional economic community.

He said the signing of the protocol for the establishment of the EAC Common Market in November was one of the outstanding successes.

 

"He informed the meeting that implementation of the same within the July 2010 target was on course as EAC Heads of State have committed to have the protocol ratified by May this year," he said.

Mwapachu said there are plans to increase cooperation in defence, which will involve the upgrading of the existing memoranda of understanding on defence matters into a legally-binding protocol.

 

This exercise is expected to take place at a special forum in Kampala in February.

"Defence is the major mover of any political unity," he remarked, adding that creating a supranational entity like the planned political federation requires having the military onboard.

 

He hailed the efforts undertaken in the previous year to foster cooperation that included joint military exercises by the EAC Partner States' defence forces and the first-ever EAC Peace and Security Conference held in Kampala.

He noted that the EAC will, in addition to hosting a special forum on defence, host a conference for People With Disabilities, host the 3rd East African Investment Conference in Kampala.

 

The secretariat will also hold a high-level conference on railway development; hold a conference on food security and climate change as directed by the Summit; table a bill against counterfeits in the regional parliament and come up with a clear roadmap as to when the Monetary Union will become reality. 

 

According to the Secretary General, the Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (CASSOA), an institution of the EAC, also moves offices from Arusha to Entebbe in 2010, while cooperation with the EAC's co-members in the Tripartite Taskforce - COMESA and SADC - is set to intensify as the three blocs work towards actualizing a Free Trade Area.

The EAC will also be seeking to revive the stalled Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) negotiations with the European Union this year.

 

The meeting is a year opening event held to brief EAC staff on major activities and events coming up in the year ahead.