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Ruto flies off to Europe for trade, climate talks

France President Emmanuel Macron Emmanuel Macron with his Kenyan counterpart President William Ruto in Paris, France on 23 June 2023. (Photo: Xose Bouzas / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP)

By Dennis Tarus | Sunday, November 19, 2023

Ruto's visit to the European countries is focused on bolstering economic ties with Germany, France and the European Union, while advocating for strong global consensus on climate action ahead of COP 28.

President William Ruto will on Sunday evening fly out of the country for Europe as he embarks on official visits to Germany and France.

According to State House, Ruto's visit to the European countries is focused on bolstering economic ties with Germany, France and the European Union, while advocating for strong global consensus on climate action ahead of COP 28.

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"In Berlin, Germany, President Ruto will join other leaders at the Compact with AFrica (CwA) high-level conference initiated by Germany during its tenure as Chair of G20. The President will showcase Kenya as a leading investment destination in the region, make a case for strengthening economic ties between the EU and the East African Community," State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed said in a statement on Sunday.

"The President will also advance discussions on Labour Mobility with Germany and consolidate Germany-Kenya cooperation on Green Energy initiatives including the production of green hydrogen and rehabilitation of the Olkaria geothermal fields and grid stabilisation."

EU Parliament address

In Strasbourg, France, the Head of State will address the EU Parliament where he is set to emphasise Kenya's role as the "peace and democracy anchor" of the region.

He will also expound on Kenya's vision of climate action in light of the African leaders' Nairobi Declaration on Climate Change and elaborate on the economic impact of deepening trade relations between the country and the EU.

This will culminate in the signing and implementation of the Economic Partnership Agreement next month.

Ruto will also hold bilateral meetings with the President of the EU Parliament Roberta Metsola and French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the implementation of infrastructural projects.

The trip comes a week after his visit to Riyadh where he attended the Saudi-Africa summit which aimed at enhancing political coordination and promoting economic transformation through research and the local development of new energy solutions, and boosting investment cooperation.