Kenya Focused on Intensified Partnership with Germany

89 President Ruto during a visit to Berlin in Germany emphasized the essence of the relationship, and cooperation between our nation and Germany. As he insisted on a need for intensifying the ties between the two nations to further trade, investments as well as environmental conservation. President Ruto during his meeting in Berlin revealed that these ties will entail climate protection, assistance in developing climate-compatible energy systems and adapting to the consequences of climate change. Also highlighted the urgency and importance of partnership with Kenya considering the steady growth of our economy. “We are at the center of a wide and expansive market of the five countries in the East African region with a population of over 135 million people,” said President Ruto. He also reflected on Kenya’s positioning as an economic hub in the region with the most developed business and financial services sector, accessible transport and communication connectivity, and diverse human resource capacity. Even though, President Ruto called for addressing of challenges impeding Kenya-Germany trade, such as narrow product range, no value-added exports, value disparities, use of subsidies distorting pricing and competitiveness, and high standards set by the European Union for agricultural products. “These challenges should not discourage us from highlighting the strengths of our countries as trading partners,” President Ruto reiterated. Further, President Ruto, acknowledged that Germany has had a long withstanding history of democracy and can have Kenya benchmarking from them to build more robust institutions and create synergies. “Germany is an anchor of democracy in Europe and the world. Kenya is a front-runner in innovation, digital connectivity, conflict resolution, and green energy. We stand to gain a lot from our friendship,” said the Former State Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development who is also the President of the German Africa Foundation Uschi Eid as they welcomed President Ruto in Berlin. Christoph Hoffmann, MP for Baden-Württemberg also acting Chair Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development, noted that there are huge areas of cooperation between Kenya and Germany that must be exploited for the benefit of the people. “We invite the German private sector to explore the many untapped opportunities in Kenya. We are ready to forge closer ties and maximize collaboration between the German and Kenyan private sectors to realize the trade potential between our nations,” said President Ruto.