Eastern and Southern Africa – Economic Partnership Agreement session is meeting in Rwanda to forge ways of expanding the list of goods that could be marketed in the European Union.

During the one week conference at Milles Collines Hotel in Kigali, participants are also expected to come out with strategies of improving infrastructure with the aim of boosting production locally, to meet the growing demand.

The meeting comes after East African partner states including Rwanda, Kenya, Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda have taken a common position to sign the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with the European Union as a bloc.

EPAs are arrangements between EU and ACP that optimally emphasise lifting of barriers on their markets in respect to each other.

And, the African Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) including Rwanda are supposed to sign EPAs with the EU before January next year.

John Bosco Kanyangoga, a committee member, national development and trade policy forum said participants will discuss a range of issues including trade services, agriculture, fisheries, market access and development.

They will also discuss European Union (EU) support projects. He identified one of EU proposed projects in Rwanda as oil pipeline that will connect Eldoret-Kenya to Kigali Rwanda and Isaka railway line that will connect Tanzania and Rwanda.

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