Kenya and Azerbaijan Hold Inaugural Political Consultations

The Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Hon. Dr. Musalia Mudavadi, E.G.H., recently hosted the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E. Yalchin Rafiyev, during his official visit to Nairobi for the inaugural Kenya-Azerbaijan Bilateral Political Consultations.

Dr. Mudavadi thanked Deputy Foreign Minister Rafiyev for the successful convening of the talks, describing the milestone as a significant step in strengthening bilateral relations. The two leaders explored avenues for enhanced collaboration across a range of sectors.

Before the high-level meeting, the Azerbaijani delegation, led by the Deputy Foreign Minister, held discussions with the Kenyan team, headed by Principal Secretary Dr. Korir Sing’Oei. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening diplomatic ties established in 2004.

Dr. Sing’Oei emphasized the need to fast-track agreements in key sectors, such as agriculture, energy, education, the digital economy, and environmental protection in order to deliver tangible benefits to citizens. The consultations also examined mutual investment opportunities within these domains.

Discussions focused on leveraging technology to strengthen the agricultural sector, improve market access, and enhance food security. Agriculture is the cornerstone of both economies and accounts for 21 and 6 percent to Kenya’s and Azerbaijan’s GDP respectively.  

In the digital economy sphere, the two delegations expressed interest in knowledge exchange and collaboration with the proposed initiatives targeting stakeholder exchange programs for the youth, with a framework set to be developed by relevant agencies.

The delegations also sought avenues to harness opportunities within the energy sector where Kenya is a global leader in renewable energy, and Azerbaijan, a major player in oil production. 

Kenya lauded Azerbaijan’s leadership in hosting COP29 in Baku and its efforts in advancing the Loss and Damage Fund, as well as driving momentum toward the new collective quantified goal of USD 300 billion in climate financing. Azerbaijan commended Kenya’s contributions towards the Nairobi Declaration from the 2023 Africa Climate Summit.

The delegations stressed the urgency of reforming global institutions to ensure they remained effective and relevant in addressing contemporary challenges. 

These inaugural consultations pave the way for the upcoming visit of the Azerbaijani Minister of Foreign Affairs to Kenya.