East African presidents on Friday pledged to intensify regional cooperation by expanding economic empowerment among the member states of the East African Community (EAC).

Visiting Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete and his host Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki committed themselves to push the agenda of the EAC in consultation with the peoples of the region so as to expand the economic cooperation among the EAC member states of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

"Regional integration would improve on infrastructure, create an expanded market and facilitate faster growth of other common services in the East African region," the two presidents said in a joint statement issued from Kenya State House, Nairobi.

Kikwete who arrived in Kenya on Friday is visiting the country as part of a three-nation tour of neighboring countries, having visited Uganda and Rwanda.

The maiden visit by President Kikwete follows his election last December as the fourth leader of the east African nation.

The two leaders also reviewed the economic situation in the region in particular the prolonged drought and food shortages and said that there was need for concerted efforts in combating the effects of famine in the region.

"One way of addressing the issue of famine in our region is by ensuring that food from food surplus areas in the region is expeditiously taken to areas with shortages," they said.

They exchanged views on fighting cross-border crimes noting criminal elements are bound to take advantage of the unrestricted interaction among peoples of the two sister states to commit crimes in border areas.

"The fact that we have the same ethnic communities spread across our common borders is a testimony of this strong bond," they noted.

Presidents Kibaki and Kikwete re-affirmed the continued brotherly and historical ties between Kenya and Tanzania, noting people in the two countries had a common bond that bound them together.

The Tanzanian leader who is on a two-day familiarization tour of the country is expected to meet Kenyan lawmakers during a dinner in Nairobi on Friday night, before leaving on Saturday.

Source: Xinhua