The Russian Federation has appointed its Ambassador in Tanzania, Alexander A. Rannikh, as its representative to the East African Community (EAC).

Ambassador Rannikh yesterday presented his accreditation letter from the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, to the EAC Secretary General, Richard Sezibera.

Sezibera hailed the existing bilateral relations between the Russian Federation and the individual EAC Partner States.

The Secretary General briefed the Russian envoy on the latest developments in the EAC integration process which, he said, are robust and well focused.

Sezibera also briefed him about the implementation of the Common Market Protocol, the ongoing negotiations for a single currency, and the ultimate goal of a political federation.

"The Russian diplomat informed the Secretary General that his country had, for many years, maintained fruitful relations and mutually beneficial cooperation with the East African states,” reads a statement from the EAC Secretariat.

He said Russia was closely following the EAC integration process, pointing out that there was a lot the region could learn from Russia’s federation experience.

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