Annan welcomes creation of EAC

UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, on Tuesday welcomed the creation of a new association of East African countries, calling the newly established regional body a “building block” for future African Economic Community. “The UN supports the strong commitment of African countries to multilateralism and initiatives such as the East African Community (EAC) that strengthen Africa’s capacity to meet the challenges of globalisation,” a spokesman for the Secretary-General said in a statement on Tuesday. Noting that the demands of a rapidly changing international economic environment required new responses, Annan wished the EAC “all success”, the statement said.

The EAC which comprises of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania is the latest of many efforts of groups of African countries to integrate their economies more effectively and to collaborate more actively in the design and implementation of their economic and social policies.