Today in Rome, Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, met with a ministerial delegation from Kenya, led by Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Alfred Mutua and including Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Wahome, Principal Secretary, National Treasury Kiptoo and Principal Secretary, State Department ASALS and Regional Development Dokota. Italy’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Edmondo Cirielli, also attended the meeting.
During the meeting – which was held as a follow-up to Italian President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella’s state visit to Kenya last March – a number of topics central to the fruitful and intense bilateral dialogue between the countries in the areas of politics, economics, trade, culture, science and development cooperation were addressed.
Tajani first expressed regret “at the severely damaging impact caused in Africa by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. We are particularly concerned about the threat to food security and the price that the people of Kenya, like many others on the continent, have to pay as a result of this conflict. The position taken by Kenya at the United Nations, where the country has always voted in favour of Ukraine in all resolutions submitted to the General Assembly, reaffirming on several occasions its adherence to the principles of the UN Charter, confirms that the disastrous effects of the Russian aggression spare no one”.
Minister Tajani, while noting the important contribution of the Italian community in Kenya, Italy’s second-largest community in sub-Saharan Africa, noted that “the approach of the Italian government toward the continent is based on an equal partnership that looks at shared goals”. “Kenya is an important partner for Italy”, Tajani continued, adding that “the relationship between our countries is also reflected in the positive dynamics of trade exchanges, which grew in the first 10 months of 2022 by almost 20 percent compared to the previous year. Our business communities cooperate in various sectors, from energy to construction, agri-tech and tourism”.
Lastly, the Minister expressed the Italian government’s appreciation for Kenya’s commitment to facilitating dialogue between the conflicting parties in Ethiopia and supporting the strengthening of security in Somalia within the framework of the African ATMIS mission, testifying to Nairobi’s role as a cornerstone of stability and security in the East African region.
