1.
LV FLAGS OF COUNTRIES
0.08

2.
SV DELEGATES ARRIVING, ENTER BUILDING
0.13

3.
SV MAN AND WOMAN ENTERING BUILDING
0.19

4.
SV&CU MR. KALEMA SPEAKING TO CONFERENCE (2 SHOTS)
0.27

5.
SV DELEGATES OF FRANCE AND GERMANY LISTENING
0.32

6.
GV&SV MR. DE KOSTER SPEAKING (2 SHOTS)
0.40

7.
SV DELEGATES FROM TANZANIA AND KENYA LISTENING
0.44

8.
LV DELEGATES FROM AFRICA CLAPPING
0.49

9.
SV DELEGATES SITTING AROUND TABLE LOOKING AT PAPERS
0.54

10.
CU MR. BOURGES OF FRANCE SPEAKING
0.59

11.
CU AFRICAN WOMAN LISTENING
1.04

12.
SV DELEGATES FROM KENYA SIGNING
1.08

13.
SV DELEGATES FROM LUXEMBOURG AND OTHER EUROPEANS SIGNING
1.12

14.
SV DELEGATES FROM ITALY SIGNING
1.15

15.
SV&GV DELEGATES ON STEPS AND LEAVING (2 SHOTS)
1.23



Initials LD/VS/JH/MH



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: REPRESENTATIVES OF THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY - KENYA, UGANDA AND TANZANIA - YESTERDAY (WEDNESDAY) SIGNED THE ARUSHA ACCORD WITH THE DELEGATES OF THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY (EEC) - NETHERLANDS, BELGIUM, WEST GERMANY, FRANCE, ITALY AND LUXEMBOURG. THE AGREEMENT, WHICH IS CONSIDERED TO HOLD WIDE-RANGING BENEFITS FOR BOTH AREAS, NOW ONLY NEEDS TO BE RATIFIED BY THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLIES OF THE NINE SIGNATORY COUNTRIES. THE EEC DELEGATION WAS HEADED BY THE NETHERLANDS SECRETARY OF STATE AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS MR. H.J. DE KOSTER; AND THE EAST AFRICAN DELEGATION WAS HEADED BY THE HONOURABLE W.W. KALEMA, UGANDA'S MINISTER FOR COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY.

IN HIS SPEECH, MR. DE KOSTER SAID THAT THE EEC'S POLICY IN RELATIONS, WITH LESS DEVELOPED COUNTRIES DID NOT DEMAND COMPLETE RECIPROCITY OF MUTUAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS. HE ALSO PRAISED THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY AS ONE OF THE MOST SPLENDID EXAMPLES OF AFRICAN ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND, HE ADDED, THE EEC WISHED TO ENCOURAGE SUCH GROUPINGS. AND, SINCE OTHER AFRICAN NATIONS HAD EXPRESSED INTEREST IN JOINING - SUCH AS ZAMBIA AND ETHIOPIA - THE PRESENT AGREEMENT IN NO WAY HINDERED THE ENLARGEMENT OF THE COMMUNITY.

THE HONOURABLE DR. I.K. MAJUGO, EAST AFRICAN MINISTER FOR COMMON MARKET AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, SAID IN HIS ADDRESS THAT HE ASKED THE COMMON MARKET VISITORS "TO LET THEIR FRIENDS IN EUROPE KNOW THAT WE IN EAST AFRICA ARE ONLY TOO PLEASED TO WELCOME THEM HERE AS TOURISTS, BUSINESSMEN OR INVESTORS".

BEFORE THE ACTUAL SIGNING OF THE AGREEMENT, SEVERAL DISCUSSIONS WERE HELD AND OTHER DELEGATES, SUCH AS FRANCE'S STATE SECRETARY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS MR. Y. BOURGES, ADDRESSED THE MEETING.

ALSO PRESENT AT THE CONFERENCE WERE 37 EUROPEAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND ECONOMIC EXPERTS, AND 40 AFRICAN OBSERVERS, INCLUDING THE MINISTERS OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY OF TANZANIA AND KENYA.

AFTER RATIFICATION, THE 75-PAGE AGREEMENT WILL ALLOW FOR EAST AFRICAN PRODUCTS - EXCEPT CLOVES, CANNED PINEAPPLES AND UNROASTED COFFEE - TO BE IMPORTED INTO THE EUROPEAN COMMON MARKET COUNTRIES FREE ON CUSTOMS DUTIES AND QUANTITATIVE RESTRICTIONS. IN RETURN, THE "SIX" WILL RECEIVE TARIFF CONCESSIONS RANGING FROM TWO TO NINE PERCENT ON 58 PRODUCTS. ALTHOUGH PRICE REDUCTIONS ON MANY EUROPEAN GOODS WILL BE TOO SMALL PROPORTIONATELY TO PASS ON TO THE CONSUMER, THE IMPORTANT FACTOR FOR EAST AFRICA IS THAT A WEALTHY MARKET FOR ITS GOODS HAS BEEN OPENED UP WITH VIRTUALLY NO RESTRICTIONS. IT IS NOW HOPED THAT INFANT AFRICAN INDUSTRIES OF MANUFACTURED GOODS WILL ALSO START RECEIVING A MARKET DEMAND ALONG WITH THE MORE TRADITIONAL COTTON, TEA, TOBACCO, OILSEEDS AND SISAL.

THE DOCUMENT ALSO PROVIDED FOR A PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE, TO MEET ONCE A YEAR AND FOR AN ASSOCIATION COUNCIL, TO ADMINISTER THE ARUSHA ACCORD. IT ALSO ALLOWS FOR SUBSCRIBER COUNTRIES TO PROTECT THEIR ECONOMIES IN THE EVENT OF SERIOUS CRISES IN ANY SECTOR OF THEIR ECONOMY.