Advancing Kenya Slovenia Relations
Her Excellency Nataša Pirc Musar, the President of the Republic of Slovenia was Saturday morning received at State House by her host President William Ruto.
At State House Nairobi, President Nataša Pirc Musar of Slovenia, who is on a first-ever State Visit to Kenya by a Slovenian head of State was accorded a twenty-one-gun salute before holding a bilateral meeting with President Ruto. The talks focused on deepening Kenya's strategic partnership with Slovenia by advancing shared interests in sustainable development, peace, and prosperity for the benefit of citizens of the two nations whose diplomatic relations were formalised in 2004, and the world.
During the bilateral engagement, the two Presidents witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs of the Republic of Kenya and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia on Political Consultation whose objective is to establish a framework through which parties can cooperate and enhance the capacity of foreign service personnel, with a particular emphasis in the languages of Kiswahili and Slovene. This was signed by the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs and His Excellency Frank Putt, Ambassador Special Envoy of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia.
During a joint press briefing at State House, President Ruto commended his guest, President Nataša Pirc Musar for the visit which symbolizes the renewed commitment and the strategic importance Kenya attaches to building stronger ties with Slovenia.
The two countries have identified trade and investment as core pillars of future cooperation with immense potential for spurring the economic transformation. It was noted that the two countries chambers of commerce needed to actively engage to grow business to business interactions and linkages that would foster business to business linkages and help unlock new trade and investment opportunities in pharmaceuticals, ICT, clean energy, and agro-processing.
Kenya welcomes Slovenian businesses to invest in Kenya where already a number of Slovenian companies such as CTC Group (housing construction), Geocodis (development of interactive portals), Roto Group (production of plastic water tanks), Tevel (industry), Waboost (water technology) are operating and thriving.
The two countries will further work together to maximize the benefits of the Kenya-EU Economic Partnership Agreement, which came into force in July 2024. Slovenia’s global leadership in sustainable apiculture and digital governance will form the basis of collaboration in modernizing agriculture, especially, through smart farming technologies and value addition in apiculture. The two leaders agreed to build on the ongoing collaboration in Mandera County’s beekeeping project and scale it up to other regions, to contribute to biodiversity conservation, job creation, and food security.
On digital transformation, Kenya seeks to partner with Slovenia in Artificial Intelligence, digital identity systems, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies in order to strengthen its ambition to remain the digital innovation hub of Africa. Kenya will seek to learn from the Slovenia’s public health systems and digital health innovations while exploring partnerships in leadership training, digital inclusion, and women-centered entrepreneurship.
Later in the afternoon, President Musar proceeded to the Uhuru Gardens National Monument and Museum in Langata, Nairobi where she was received by senior military officials led by Army Commander Lieutenant General David K Tarus and Director of the Uhuru Gardens Brigadier O. Oduor Opiyo before laying a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. She was accompanied by the Escort of Honour, Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry, Dr. Deborah Mlongo Barasa, and Amb. Maurice Makoloo, Kenya’s Ambassador to Vienna, accredited to Slovenia, Slovakia, Croatia, Hungary, and Ukraine.
Later, President Pirc Musar embarked on a game drive at Nairobi National Park, as part of social and cultural diplomacy efforts, promoting Kenya as a premier tourism and wildlife destination.
President Pirc Musar will join her host President Ruto and Kenyans in Homa Bay County for this year’s 62nd Madaraka Day celebrations. President Pirc Musar is also expected to tour various community projects in Homa Bay County.
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