The Italian Ambassador to Tanzania, Giuseppe Coppola, presented in Arusha the letters of credence to the Secretary General of the East African Community (EAC), Veronica Mueni Nduva from Kenya. The meeting discussed possible areas of cooperation between Italy and the EAC, also in the framework of the EU's substantial support to the regional organisation.
The secretary-general recalled how the experience of European integration is very relevant to the EAC's efforts in its four pillars (customs union, common market, monetary union and political federation), also in the light of the current challenges for the region, primarily the crisis in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Mueni Nduva also hoped that the EAC could benefit from Italy's experience in various areas, such as the response to health emergencies, the modernisation of agriculture, the role of small and medium-sized enterprises and governance.
Ambassador Coppola also met with the President of the EAC Legislative Assembly, Burundian Joseph Ntakirutimana, who called for cooperation with the Italian Parliament, emphasising the important role of parliamentary diplomacy for regional integration. Originally founded in 1967, the EAC celebrated its 25th anniversary in November 2024. In recent years, the historic members Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi have been joined by South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Somalia.
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