The Finnish government has contributed 1.6 million Euros (Frw1.3 billion) to the East African Community’s partnership fund in order to support the regional integration agenda and promote economic and political stability.

The key priorities for the Fund in the next one year are to support the Common Market negotiations, Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations, and capacity building among others.

The agreement was signed between the Ambassador of Finland to Tanzania, Juhani Toivonen, and the EAC Deputy Secretary General, Dr. Julius Rotich, on Thursday, Aug. 7, in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.

The Fund will also facilitate planning, accounting and encouraging partners to jointly contribute to the Fund.

Meanwhile, the signing also saw the Regional Programme on Occupational Health and Safety launched.

Finland will also contribute up to 150,000 Euros (Frw124 million) to the programme prepared by the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, the Directorate of Occupational Health and Safety Services of Kenya, the Occupational Safety and Health Authority of Tanzania, and the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development of Uganda.

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