DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- The East African Community (EAC) on Tuesday commenced the 58th Extraordinary Meeting of the EAC Council of Ministers at its headquarters in Tanzania's northern city of Arusha, with the 35th Meeting of the Sectoral Council of Ministers Responsible for EAC Affairs and Planning also underway.

According to a statement by the regional bloc, the meetings will run through Saturday, bringing together senior officials, permanent secretaries, and ministers from the eight EAC partner states to deliberate on strategic policy matters aimed at enhancing regional integration and sustainable development.

The sectoral council is reviewing the draft seventh EAC Development Strategy, terms of reference for updating the EAC Vision 2050, and proposals for a regional language policy. Delegates are also discussing progress on eliminating non-tariff barriers and evaluating the bloc's activities for the second half of 2025, the EAC noted.

Concurrently, the extraordinary council meeting is focusing on institutional reforms, including human resource changes, with the agenda covering revisions to EAC staff job descriptions and the operational manual for a quota system to ensure equitable recruitment across member states, said the statement.

The meetings will conclude with ministerial sessions on Friday and Saturday, reaffirming the bloc's commitment to deepening cooperation and accelerating socio-economic transformation in the region. ■