On the 15th of July, the third round of political consultations between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs of the Republic of Kenya was held online under the joint chairmanship of the Special Representative of Ukraine for the Middle East and Africa Maksym Subkh and the Director General, Political & Diplomatic Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya Amb. Josphat K.Maikara.
The parties discussed the current state of Ukrainian-Kenyan cooperation as well as the prospects for its future development, noting the positive dynamics observed in the steady recovery of trade turnover between the two countries, in addition to exchanging views on specific steps aimed at boosting bilateral cooperation in agriculture, medicine, education, information technology, etc.
Maksym Subkh expressed gratitude to the Republic of Kenya for its consistent support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Kenyan side reaffirmed its principled stance concerning the non-negotiable obligation of all countries to comply with the provisions of the UN Charter and the fundamental principles of international law, specifically with regard to respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders.
The parties commended the increased high-level bilateral political contacts and cooperation within the UN and other international organisations.
Both sides agreed on the need to intensify efforts to expand and formalise the bilateral legal framework.
The diplomats stressed the importance of maintaining high-level working contacts through arranging mutual visits and implementing the agreements reached during previous meetings.
Maksym Subkh reiterated Ukraine's consistent commitment to contributing to global food security.
«Ukraine has consistently adhered to its obligations as a guarantor of global food security, especially on the African continent. Despite Russia's terrorist attacks on our port infrastructure, grain processing facilities and ships, we continue to supply food through a secure sea corridor», said Maksym Subkh.
«We propose to intensify the dialogue between our ministries of agriculture, business associations, public and private companies in order to explore opportunities and identify the most promising projects in this area», he said.
The Ukrainian side commended Kenya's role as a leading technology and innovation centre in East Africa, which is at the forefront of communications, mobile financial services, and a reliable IT infrastructure with a pool of top talent. The potential for mutually beneficial cooperation in the IT sector was recognised by both parties to be significant and promising.
In his turn, the Kenyan diplomat informed the Ukrainian side of the main measures undertaken by the Kenyan government to attract foreign investment in various projects in agriculture, industrial and transport infrastructure, the IT sector, etc. At the same time, the Kenyan side called on Ukrainian companies to enter the markets of Kenya and neighbouring East African countries more actively, in particular through special economic zones functioning in Kenya.
Special attention was paid to the issues of international and regional security.
Over the course of the talks, the Ukrainian diplomat specifically drew the Kenyan side's attention to the need for joining efforts in countering hybrid threats posed by the Russian Federation.
The deliverables reached during the political consultations demonstrated the commitment of both parties to boost cooperation in various areas of mutual interest.