The sixth East African Community (EAC) Common Market talks are set to begin today, at the Kivu Serena hotel, in Gisenyi. The talks are to allow free movement of goods, services, labour and people within the region by 2010.

Prudence Sebahizi, Rwanda’s Chief Negotiator, said that all EAC partner states have been represented by their members of the High Level Task Force (HLTF).

By yesterday some representatives from all the EAC partner states include Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda were present.

Sebahizi said that, "thirty representatives from each partner state were invited for the 10-day talks. A delegate from the EAC Secretariat is expected to officiate the opening of the talks.”

Sebahizi who is also the Executive Secretary of Rwanda’s Regional Integration Committee (RIC) said, "Top on the negotiation agenda are the new issues fundamental to the Common Market protocol.” Some of these include, institutional reforms, environmental matters, and social policy.

The issues were adopted onto the negotiation agenda in Bujumbura and Kampala talks, after they were regarded fundamental to Common Market protocol.

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