KAMPALA – The Tenth Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) between Rwanda and Uganda kicked off yesterday in Kampala with both countries promising to eliminate the existing Non-Tariff trade Barriers.

The first meeting of senior officials was yesterday addressed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mary Baine, and her Ugandan counterpart, Ambassador James Mugume, ahead of President Paul Kagame’s three-day state visit from the 25-27th this month.

"A very simplified regime to enable trade to flourish at the borders has been created,” Baine told reporters shortly after the meeting opened. In terms of the time it takes to clear goods at the borders, and the time it takes to cross a border, all that has really been catered for and improved upon.”

During the ninth JPC meeting held in Kigali last year, both countries agreed on the need to have a common policy on the management of Small- Medium Enterprises and try to improve cross border trade.

Baine said that during the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the management of the SMEs and cross border management will be signed.

Other areas of cooperation in the JPC include; defence and security, cross border trade, infrastructure and energy, education and research, ICT and agriculture.

The ministerial session of the JPC, bringing together the two countries ministers of Foreign Affairs, convenes today.