00:00 We have met today with the Honorable Simon Mijok Mijak, who is the Minister of Roads and Bridges in South Sudan.
00:12 Following our continuous conversation as members of East Africa community,
00:18 our meeting today was to make sure that we continue working on the seamless connectivity between our countries,
00:27 especially through roads and bridges.
00:30 We all know that there is an ongoing project that connects the port of Mombasa and the city of Juba.
00:38 That road project has advanced and it's approaching Nadapal.
00:46 From Nadapal to Juba is about 350 kilometers.
00:53 We have agreed that we would like to work together to make sure that Mombasa to Nadapal is connected by TAMAC.
01:04 We already have the indication and support of the World Bank and African Development Bank and other development partners
01:12 who would like to finance this project.
01:15 This project has been stalled because of other considerations, security issues that have been happening around the area of Nadapal and Nakadok.
01:28 But we have agreed as the two countries, having been instructed by the presidents of the two countries to work as ministers,
01:39 we have agreed that we separate the issue of border and security from the infrastructure connectivity
01:47 and therefore work together jointly to make sure that this road is connected to increase trade between the two countries
02:00 and for seamless movement of goods and services.
02:04 And in our meeting today we have agreed that our technical committees work on a memorandum of understanding,
02:10 capturing the areas of agreement, pass on to previous notes between the two countries
02:19 and work that is already done by technical committee, but also agreements and letters that we have exchanged in the past.
02:27 We have also agreed that we will jointly visit the area that is of interest, particularly where the road has reached so far,
02:42 for us to familiarize ourselves with the situation on the ground, but also to interact with the citizens of the two great countries.
02:49 Thank you.
