Kenya and Estonia Deepen Bilateral Relations in Nairobi Talks
Building on a growing partnership, Kenya and Estonia convened in Nairobi for the second round of political consultations, following the inaugural meeting in Tallinn in 2023. The talks aimed to deepen bilateral ties and accelerate cooperation across priority sectors.
The delegations, led by Amb. Eliphas Barine, Director General for Political and Diplomatic Affairs (Kenya), and Ms. Kristi Karelsohn, Director General for Asia, Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (Estonia), focused on advancing economic partnerships, digital transformation and renewable energy and green tech.
In the area of ICT and the digital economy, both countries explored collaboration opportunities in their increasingly digital worlds. Kenya, positioning itself as a regional tech hub, emphasized initiatives to unlock digital opportunities for its youthful, tech-savvy population.
Turning to regional and global peace and security, the two countries exchanged views on cyber security, conflict resolution, and multilateral cooperation. They reiterated their shared commitment to United Nations reforms (focused on simplifying procedures, decentralising decision-making, enhancing transparency and prioritising data and digital capacity to make the UN more efficient and cost-effective), climate action, and environmental protection.
On environmental sustainability, the delegations discussed forest conservation, with the two countries exploring ways to leverage technology in support of Kenya’s ambitious target to plant 15 billion trees by 2030.
The discussions also highlighted mutual interests in health and education noting that 16 Kenyan students were currently studying at various institutions in Estonia.
The two delegations concluded by reviewing the status of existing Memoranda of Understanding and legal instruments and agreed that a joint team be established to expedite track status of implementation of various signed legal frameworks while pursuing the conclusion of pending instruments.