East
African Heads of State have commended achievements made under the
Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NCIP) initiative and advocated
for faster integration of the region to bring about prosperity.
Presidents
Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Tanzania’s Jakaya Kikwete, Uhuru Kenyatta of
Kenya, Salva Kiir Mayardit of South Sudan and Burundi’s Second Vice
President Gervais Rufyikiri as well as Ethiopia’s Minister for Foreign
Affairs Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, joined President Paul Kagame in
Kigali yesterday for the 9th NCIP summit.
Less
than two years since the northern corridor meetings began, fourteen
projects including infrastructure, energy, transport, ICT and trade have
been launched.
Recent
achievements of the Northern Corridor Integration Projects include the
improved free movement of people and labour, the use of Identity Cards
as travel documents, the establishment of One Network Area, the one visa
for tourists coming to Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda and the waiver of work
permits for EAC citizens in the northern corridor.
Rwanda
and Uganda also ratified peace and security pact that will soon be
extended to Kenya to ensure the three countries work together to prevent
and resolve conflicts.
Opening the summit, President Kagame emphasized the importance of maintaining the momentum:
“The
results we have achieved together so far should motivate us to do more
and faster. With political will and prompt follow-through, we can
achieve the tangible results the people of our region need and deserve,”
Kagame said.
President
Kenyatta argued that East African nations should not be importing from
elsewhere when a surplus exists within the region and added that with a
common market, nations have no reason not to be manufacturing its own
cars or textiles among others. “ We can create a region that has a
strong voice on a global scale and is an attractive place for
investment,” Kenyatta added.
Speaking
on behalf of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, Ethiopia’s Foreign
Minister Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the NCIP as an example of
integration on the African continent.
During
last year’s NCIP Heads of State summit in the Kenyan capital Nairobi,
heads of state renewed their commitment to fast-tracking the
implementation of infrastructure projects, including the Standard Gauge
Railway (SGR) for which they directed Ministers of Finance,
Infrastructure and Attorneys General or Ministers of Justice to jointly
mobilise financing, as well as completing agreements on power purchasing
and work on building electricity transmission lines.
“The
Heads of State noted with appreciation the progress in the
implementation of the various projects under the Northern Corridor
Initiative, and reiterated their collective resolve to continuously work
together in pursuit of the set vision and goals of fast-tracking the
integration process, for the benefit of the citizenry of the Northern
Corridor Region,” the Presidents said in a final communiqué issued after
the summit.
They
also welcomed the announcement by Burundi to “end its observer status”
and fully participate in the Northern Corridor Integration Projects
Initiative.
“Our
people benefited from the progress and my government appreciates and
supports all the efforts made in the interest of the people of our
region. I would like to announce to you that the period in which Burundi
participated as an observer is finished. We are now fully
participating,” Burundi’s Second Vice President Gervais Rufyikiri said.
The
9th Northern Corridor Integration Projects Summit also marked the first
meeting involving members of the private sector. The Heads of State
resolved to facilitate a stronger partnership with the private sector
including through financing the Northern Corridor projects.
The next NCIP Summit will be held in Uganda within the next two months.
Source: New Times
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