Kenya, Estonia sign bilateral agreements

Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta and his visiting Estonian counterpart Kersti Kaljulaid on Thursday led their respective delegations in bilateral talks at State House, Nairobi.

Kenya and Estonia signed a bilateral framework of cooperation on Political Consultations, Health and Environment.

These, the two leaders said will benefit both countries in working together for a common goal of sustainable development.

At the invitation of His Excellency Uhuru Kenyatta, President of the Republic of Kenya, the President of the Republic of Estonia, Her Excellency Kersti Kaljulaid, undertook her maiden and Historic Official Visit to the Republic of Kenya from 8th to 11th September, 2021.

His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta applauded Her Excellency Kersti Kaljulaid, being the first female President of Estonia and also congratulated her on being appointed the UN Global Advocate for Every Woman and Every Child and expressed appreciation for choosing Kenya for the maiden visit to the continent.

The devastating effects caused by COVID-19 on a global scale, require immediate and effective action by the international community as a whole to address it. The two Presidents agreed on the need for universal access to vaccines against COVID-19 and urged the international community to increase the sharing of the vaccines to ensure vaccination for all.

The two Heads of States noted with satisfaction the existing bilateral cooperation in various sectors particularly ICT and innovation in which Estonia is widely acclaimed as a global pace setter. His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta thanked Her Excellency Kersti Kaljulaid for bringing with her a high level business delegation to participate in Kenya-Estonia Business Forum with a focus on e-services.

The two Heads of State reiterated their commitment to continue strengthening bilateral cooperation in various sectors such as trade and investment, digital transformation with a view to spur economic growth to create employment for Kenya’s youth.

To further strengthen the existing bilateral cooperation, the two Heads of State witnessed the signing of bilateral framework of cooperation on Political Consultations, Health as well as a letter of intent in area of environment.

On International Peace and Security, the two Heads of State reiterated their commitment to work closely as Non-Permanent Members of the United Nations Security Council with a view to contribute to international peace and security, respect for democracy and human rights, gender equality and women empowerment. The two Heads of State emphasized the urgent need to address climate change and its impacts on the environment and the need to increase global efforts in this regard.

The two Heads of State embraced multilateralism as the most appropriate path for economic and social recovery in times of the pandemic. The two Presidents welcomed the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the East African Community (EPA) and committed themselves to work towards its successful implementation.

On International Cooperation, the two leaders also reiterated their commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the 2030 Agenda and the 2063 Agenda of the African Union as the way to build sustainable, just, inclusive and resilient economies.

Her Excellency President Kersti Kaljulaid praised Kenya’s commitment to maintaining regional peace and stability and promoting the integration and economic development of the African continent.

His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta recognized the significant financial and humanitarian effort made by Estonia through its active participation in the various peacekeeping missions and operations deployed on the globe, which are a clear demonstration of Estonia’s commitment to international peace and stability, a necessary condition for guaranteeing development, human rights and international security.

His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta thanked Her Excellency Kersti Kaljulaid for undertaking the Official Visit to the Republic of Kenya and for her firm assurance to continue working closely in strengthening bilateral relations between Kenya and Estonia.

President Kersti Kaljulaid, the first female President of Estonia, has made history by being the first Estonian Head of State to visit Kenya