HEADS OF STATES FROM KENYA, UGANDA AND TANZANIA HAVE LAUNCHED 
A COMMON PASSPORT, FLAG, AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY FOR THE THREE 
EAST AFRICAN COUNTRIES.  

THE MEETING IN TANZANIA WAS THE LATEST EFFORT TO BRING THE THREE 
COUNTRIES CLOSER TO ECONOMIC UNION.

PRESIDENTS DANIEL ARAP MOI OF KENYA, YOWERI MUSEVENI OF UGANDA, 
AND BENJAMIN MKAPA OF TANZANIA LAUNCHED A NEW BLUE PASSPORT, AND 
A COMMON FLAG FOR ALL EAST AFRICANS.  THE FLAG IS BLUE LIKE THE 
WATERS OF LAKE VICTORIA WITH THE COLORS OF ALL THREE COUNTRIES' 
NATIONAL FLAGS.

THE PRESIDENTS ALSO AGREED TO DISMANTLE ROAD BLOCKS AT ALL BORDER
TOWNS AND COORDINATE FISCAL AND MONETARY POLICY.

PRESIDENT MUSEVENI SAID IMPROVING TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND ROADS IN
THE THREE NATIONS WOULD GREATLY ENHANCE REGIONAL TRADE. HE 
LAUDED THE ACHIEVEMENTS, BUT STRESSED THE SUCCESS OF THE 
COOPERATION DEPENDS ON ENTREPRENEURS FROM THE REGION.

TANZANIAN PRESIDENT MKAPA SAID THE COOPERATION AIMS TO CREATE AN 
ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR CROSS-BORDER TRADE AND INVESTMENT AND TO
EASE MOVEMENT OF GOODS AND SERVICES IN EAST AFRICA. HE SAYS THE 
PRIVATE SECTOR HAS A CRUCIAL ROLE TO PLAY.

         THE NEW SPIRIT OF THE EAST AFRICAN COOPERATION THAT 
         DRIVES US IS THE SPIRIT THAT RECOGNIZES THE DECISIVE 
         ROLE OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND OF ORDINARY EAST AFRICANS
         IN DEVELOPING EAST AFRICA AS A SINGLE INVESTMENT TRADE 
         AND BUSINESS AREA. OUR DUTY AS GOVERNMENT, AND THE DUTY
         OF THE GOVERNMENT INSTITUTIONS WE HAVE CREATED, IS ONE 
         OF FACILITATION AND OF CREATING AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT 
         FOR OUR CITIZENS, BOTH PRIVATE AND CORPORATE, TO BE THE 
         ENGINE OF THE EAST AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION.

HE SAYS IT IS ALSO THEIR DUTY TO MAKE EAST AFRICA AN ATTRACTIVE 
DESTINATION FOR FOREIGN INVESTMENT TO CREATE BADLY NEEDED JOBS 
AND REVENUES FOR IMPROVEMENT OF THE LIVES OF THE 80-MILLION EAST 
AFRICANS.

PRESIDENT MOI DESCRIBED THE JOINT MEASURES TAKEN AT ARUSHA AS A 
STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. HE SAID ALL THREE COUNTRIES WOULD 
BE MUCH MORE DEVELOPED HAD THE EAST AFRICAN COOPERATION NOT 
BROKEN UP IN 1977.

         I HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE THAT THIS TIME ROUND WE ARE 
         WORKING ON THE RIGHT PATH AND THE JOINT MEASURES WE ARE 
         TAKING WILL BENEFIT OUR EAST AFRICAN PEOPLE EVEN MORE.  
         HAD WE KNOWN 20-YEARS AGO, AT A TIME THE EAST AFRICAN 
         COMMUNITY BROKE UP, THAT THE REST OF THE WORLD WOULD BE 
         MOVING TOWARDS GREATER INTEGRATION WE WOULD NOT HAVE 
         ALLOWED THE COMMUNITY TO BREAK UP. HAD THE EAST AFRICAN
         COMMUNITY SURVIVED WE WOULD BY NOW HAVE MADE TREMENDOUS 
         PROGRESS IN ECONOMIC PROGRESS AHEAD OF ANY OTHER 
         ECONOMIC BLOCK IN THE WORLD.

THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY COLLAPSED IN 1977 BECAUSE OF 
IDEOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN FORMER TANZANIAN PRESIDENT JULIUS
NYERERE, KENYA'S FOUNDING PRESIDENT THE LATE JOMO KENYATTA, AND 
DICTATOR IDI AMIN OF UGANDA.

THE THREE COUNTRIES HAVE NOW LAUNCHED A DEVELOPMENT PLAN TO CARRY
THE EAST AFRICAN ALLIANCE THROUGH THE YEAR 2000.  

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