{On the invitation of the Ambassadors of the East African Community in the Russian Federation, representatives of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) briefed EAC Diplomats on the background, advantages and opportunities in trading with the member states of the Eurasian Economic Union. }
The meeting took place in the premises of Kenyan Embassy in Moscow where Rwanda was represented by Ambassador Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya and Francis Karagire, First Secretary. South Sudan also participated as an observer.
The meeting aimed at learning about the EEC integration process and further development of the economic block with view of exploring available opportunities for EAC member states to get into business exchanges with the regional block.
Mr. Victor SPASSKIY, Director in charge of integration development, in his presentation highlighted much on the member states economic integration, that include the Russian Federation, Belarus and Kazakhstan focusing on the current stage of integration and initiatives to expand the block to include other countries willing to join.
The East African Community Diplomats were impressed by what they learnt and resolved to encourage EAC to take advantage of such partnership and export tea, coffee, and horticulture products to EEU. These crops, according to Diplomats would directly get into EEC market without transiting through Western Europe as it is the case currently.
Traders would also be paying custom taxes at only one entry point to the EEC block. This would contribute to boost of EAC exports to EEC that is still very little according to EEC 2010-2013 trade statistics.
Among other things, EAC diplomats are taking seriously the wide range of available opportunities within the EEC for EAC member states, including natural resources, high level of human capital, developed technology in manufacturing industry, farming machinery, etc.
Rwandan Private Sector is advised to eye into the untapped potential and opportunities to initiate new trade ties with the EEU business community.
Among other countries, the EEC bloc has entered into trade negotiations with Egypt, India, Israel and South Africa. The Union therefore remains open to any state that shares its aims and principles, EEC officials said.
The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) is a single permanent regulatory body (supranational governing body) of the Customs Union (CU) and the Single Economic Space (SES) of the Eurasian Economic Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia to which Armenia and Kyrgyzstan will soon join. The block is a purely economic organization and is apolitical.
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