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Kenya is one of Romania's traditional partners in East Africa, president Iohannis says
Kenya is one of Romania's traditional partners in East Africa, president Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday at the end of his meeting in Nairobi with his Kenyan counterpart, William Ruto.
The Romanian president specified that his visit to Kenya takes place in a "very special context", after the adoption for the first time in Romania of the National Strategy for Africa and is part of the efforts to "reboost" Romania's relationships with the countries on this continent.
"Romania and Kenya have a long relationship, characterized by mutual respect," Iohannis said, adding that the country was "an example of political stability and democratic transition in East Africa."
According to the president, Kenya is also an economic, financial, transport and sustainable development hub for the entire region.
"Our consultations today reconfirmed that we have themes of common interest and similar positions regarding current global challenges. Thus, we agreed to develop cooperation in areas of crucial role for both Romania and Kenya: environmental protection and combating climate change, civil protection, education, digitization, green energy. I expressed my appreciation for the leadership role assumed by president Ruto and Kenya in effectively managing and combating climate change, and we agreed that our administrations should cooperate more closely in this area," added Klaus Iohannis.
The president mentioned that he identified "a major potential for cooperation between Romania and Kenya in areas such as biodiversity and forests, digitization for sustainable development, education for the environment and climate change, energy transition and effective response to natural disasters and food insecurity".
He encouraged Kenyan and Romanian businessmen "to start joint projects, both bilaterally and on third markets, including in areas related to digital transition and green transition".
According to Iohannis, Kenya "can count on Romania in terms of promoting and developing relations with the European Union", a topic also addressed by president William Ruto in his intervention.
"Instruments such as the Global Gateway and the Team Europe initiative offer concrete opportunities in this sense. I will encourage Romanian institutions and companies to get more involved in their implementation, including the involvement of Kenya," president Iohannis said.
He also spoke about Romania's evaluations regarding Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, including its effects on the food security of African states.
"I also presented Romania's contribution to facilitating grain exports from Ukraine - to ensure global food security. Romania took substantial measures and invested in infrastructure to be able to ensure, since the beginning of the war, the transit of over 30 million tonnes of grain from Ukraine to global markets, including Africa, and we will continue with increased capacity," he added.
Klaus Iohannis highlighted that Romania supports "the efforts that president Ruto is making, in cooperation with international partners, to find the best solutions to the crisis files in Africa".
The president is to lay a wreath at the Jomo Kenyatta Mausoleum on Tuesday and meet with the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) at the UN Office in Nairobi.
The state visit to Kenya is the first stage of the tour in Africa that president Klaus Iohannis is making. He is going to move to Tanzania, the Republic of Cabo Verde and Senegal.