ARUSHA, Tanzania, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Somalia on Monday completed its process of joining the East African Community (EAC) as its eighth member state at a ceremony at the bloc's headquarters here in northern Tanzania.
Jibril Abdirashid Haji Abdi, Somalia's minister of commerce and industry, presented the Horn of Africa country's instrument of ratification to EAC Secretary General Peter Mathuki, according to an official statement.
Somalia now has the green light to contribute to the development of a roadmap for its integration into the EAC, which will detail how Somalia will implement EAC commitments to the customs union, the common market, the monetary union and the political federation, said Mathuki.
Somalia will also benefit from the EAC's regional infrastructure projects such as roads, railways and energy networks, he said.
"These projects aim to improve connectivity, enhance transportation links, and boost regional trade, ultimately supporting Somalia's economic development and integration," he said.
Abdi said that his country was eager to contribute to the EAC integration by leveraging its strategic location and abundant national resources for the benefit of the entire region.
After its decade-long application, Somalia officially became the eighth member of the EAC in November 2023. The other seven members are Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda, and Tanzania. ■