Kenya and Australia have emphasized the importance of mutual bilateral and multilateral collaboration, particularly in attracting more Australian investors to consider Kenya as a preferred investment destination.
This while also encouraging Australian investors to open their markets for Kenyan imports to improve the balance of trade which is currently in favour of Australia.
The discussions were held Monday in Nairobi when Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi hosted the Australia’s Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Trade Assistant Minister for Immigration, Matt Thistlethwaite MP who is on a two days’ tour of Kenya.
The discussions highlighted the warm and friendly bilateral relations between Kenya and Australia, which have thrived for over six decades on the basis of shared values and mutual interests ranging from trade and investment, agriculture, tourism, mining, sports, environmental climate change, conservation, and labour migration.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two leaders agreed on the need to work together on the improvement of seeds, livestock keeping and particularly on ranching as part of efforts to strengthen cooperation in agriculture, while affirming their commitment to continue the partnership in mining.
“We affirmed our commitment to continue the partnership in mining where Kenya can significantly benefit from a robust mining sector in Australia. On Agriculture, we agreed on the need to work together on the improvement of seeds, improvement on the livestock keeping and particularly on ranching.” Read the statement.
Adding that: “In particular, we affirmed our commitment to continue the partnership in mining where Kenya can significantly benefit from a robust mining sector in Australia.”
Kenya expressed appreciation to Australia providing Kenyan students an opportunity to study and earn a living in their country calling on the Australian government to tap into Kenya’s human resource.
“I thanked the Australian government for giving Kenyan students an opportunity to study and earn a living in their country. With huge youthful populace, well-educated and trained in vast areas in Kenya, I lobbied the Australian government to tap into our country’s human resource to drive further it’s robust economy.” Noted CS Mudavadi.
On the maritime security, Kenya and Australia jointly agreed on the need to work together to ensure safety of the Indian Ocean for the good of the business people especially that it carries a third of the global container traffic.
“We agreed on the importance of safeguarding the Indian Ocean, a vital trade route carrying nearly a third of global container traffic. We also underscored the shared opportunity to scale up investments in the blue economy, recognizing the ocean’s central role in sustainable development and prosperity for our people.” The two leaders agreed.
Further Kenya Kenya reaffirmed interest to elevate its bilateral relations with Australia to a level of Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) in future.
