East Africa Chamber of Commerce meeting with EAC ambassadors

Washington, DC| March 7th, 2016.In a meeting hosted today by the Rwandan ambassador to the US, Ambassador Mathilde Mukantabana, the East Africa Chamber of Commerce (EACC) introduced its new leadership to the East Africa Community (EAC) diplomats and shared their 2016 conference goals and aspirations.

This meeting included ambassadors and representatives from the Rwandan,Tanzanian, Kenyan, Burundian, and Ugandan embassies, along with eight members of the EACC leadership. The newly elected Chairwoman, Mrs. Elsa Juko Mc-Dowell led the EACC presentation. The group discussed the details about their current plans and the way forward for the upcoming conference this year.

In her opening remarks, Ambassador Mukantabana said, “Rwanda continues to be at the forefront of bringing people and businesses together, and deepen its engagement with the EAC. Therefore partnering with organizations such as the EACC is relevant.”

For Rwanda in particular, deeper and closer economic integration within the EAC and the rest of Africa opens up for new trade and investment opportunities. Business dynamics today indicate that we are more competitive as a block, and this meeting served as a platform to drive to a common understanding of where opportunities lie.
The EACC, based in Dallas, Texas is an East African Diaspora organization that has been a key player in the promotion of trade and investment between the USA and the EAC through activities such as the Annual Business Conference, which brings together the business community, diaspora, and the EAC Ambassadors.
Mrs. Juko Mc Dowell stressed that partnerships between the EACC and East African ambassadors brings credibility when engaging foreign investors. This credibility is key to the economic integration of the East Africa region on the US market.

The EACC leadership expressed that East African countries working together to portray the region as a flourishing business hub is key when it comes to tapping into the connections that the EACC has already made.
The EACC will host its 8th Business Conference this year from September 29th to Octber 2nd.