The East African Community (EAC) and the Finnish government, early this week, signed an
agreement worth Euros 2 million to support activities along the Lake Victoria Basin between
from 2011 to 2014.

The agreement was signed between the EAC Secretary General, Juma Mwapachu, and the Finnish
Ambassador to Tanzania, Juhani Toivone.

The grant, which will be executed by the EAC’s Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC), is
subject to annual parliamentary approval in Finland.

The funds will be released in three instalments.

Speaking at the signing, Mwapachu noted that Finland has been a close partner of the EAC for
many years and the Community had seen a lot of positive development through the Partnership
Fund.

"Lake Victoria is an important and truly shared resource in the EAC and the water mass was one
of the major climate influencers in the world,” he added.

The Secretary General disclosed that over 35 million people depend on the Lake as a source of
livelihood, saying that any support that goes towards its sustainability is very important, not
just to the region but also to the whole world.

Toivone stressed that the signing of the agreement was a clear indication of Finland’s interest
in supporting the EAC.

He noted that Lake Victoria was the economic engine of the region and was one of the priority
areas for Finland’s support to the Community.

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