DAR ES SALAAM, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- The 18th extra-ordinary summit of the East African Community (EAC) heads of state on Wednesday directed the EAC Council of Ministers to start and conclude negotiations on the accession treaty with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for admission to the bloc.
In a communique issued at the end of their one-day summit, the EAC leaders said the EAC Council of Ministers should report the outcome of the negotiations to the next summit.
The EAC leaders directed the Council of Ministers to conclude negotiations with DRC after they had reviewed the Council of Ministers' report on the verification mission on the admission of the DRC to join the EAC.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan said DRC's admission to the regional bloc will be a new milestone to the integration.
She reiterated Tanzania's commitment to working closely with all EAC member states toward taking the integration to higher levels.
President Paul Kagame of Rwanda welcomed the progress made in admitting DRC in the regional economic bloc.
"We look forward to the prompt conclusion of the remaining admission procedures," he said.
Current member states of the EAC are Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. Enditem
