Senior regional cooperation officials from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda on Friday met in northern Tanzania for an envisaged East African Community (EAC) expansion to include Burundi and Rwanda.

The two-day meeting, that went underway in the Arusha-based EAC headquarters, drew permanent secretaries from the three existing member states of the community, according to reports reaching here.

The ministers in charge of regional cooperation are scheduled to also gather in Arusha for the talks, of which the outcome will be presented to the 12th EAC Council of Ministers slated for August 2-5.

To attend the expansion convention will be Burundi's Minister of Trade and Industry Denise Sinankwa, Rwanda's Foreign Minister Charles Murigande, Tanzania's East African Cooperation Minister Andrew Chenge, Uganda's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of EAC Affairs Eriya Kategaya and Kenya's East African Regional Cooperation Minister John Arap Koech, who is now chairing the EAC Council of Ministers.

The EAC Council of Ministers will finally decide whether and when to offer accession to the EAC to Burundi and Rwanda.

Source: Xinhua