On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto agreed to strengthen bilateral ties in the fields of trade, energy, healthcare, digital public infrastructure, and defense. Kenya will receive a USD 250 million line of credit from India to modernize its agricultural sector.
After the Modi-Ruto discussions, the two sides unveiled an alliance vision statement to increase marine participation in the Indian Ocean region and signed five pacts allowing for cooperation in a variety of fields, including sports, education, and digital solutions.
The country’s government promised to give Indian businesses and organizations land for the growing of crops, particularly millets, in accordance with Kenyan rules.
The value of bilateral trade is $3.3 billion, of which a large portion comes from Indian exports. In contrast, Indian investments in Kenya were assessed at $3.2 billion.
The two leaders also talked about the necessity of using local currencies for commerce in order to improve bilateral economic involvement and to support projects under development partnerships.
India and Kenya’s agreement
India has been a “reliable and committed” development partner for Kenya, according to Modi’s media release, and New Delhi is ready to share its accomplishments in digital public infrastructure with the east African country.
We made the agreement to exchange experiences as two rural economies. In order to modernize Kenya’s agricultural industry, we have also chosen to offer a Line of Credit (LoC) of USD 250 million,” he stated.
The East African side expressed interest in India’s UPI (Unified Payments Interface) payment system in addition to offering land for farming by Indian enterprises under a cooperative model, according to Dammu Ravi, secretary (economic relations) in the Ministry of External Affairs, at a press briefing.
The two leaders also talked about the necessity of using local currencies for commerce in order to improve bilateral economic involvement and to support projects under development partnerships.
According to Modi, Kenya and India have decided to further up counterterrorism cooperation because they are “unanimous” that terrorism is the biggest threat to humanity. The PM stated that both parties also discussed defense cooperation, with a focus on strengthening military capabilities, fostering connections between the two nations’ defense sectors, and holding military drills.
He stated that “all our efforts in the Indo-Pacific” will be strengthened by the tight partnership of these two countries. Kenya’s 80,000 Indian-origin residents represent the “biggest strength” in the relationship.
Ruto praised India’s contribution in bringing the African Union into full membership in the alliance of the biggest economies in the world during the nation’s G20 chairmanship. He claimed that the new credit line will assist Kenyans in addressing urgent problems including food security and living expenses.
In addition, he asked New Delhi to think about permitting Kenyan physicians, nurses, and clinical officials to travel to India for brief training sessions.
More talks with Kenya
Kenya stated, in accordance with Kenyan rules, to provide land to Indian firms and institutions for the growth of crops, particularly millets, according to a joint statement.
“On mutually agreeable terms, the Indian government committed to promoting investment in the sector by Indian companies, including in technology and equipment.” It was mentioned by both parties that strengthening bilateral agricultural cooperation will boost trade between the two countries and improve its food security.
India also brought up the matter of the two Indian nationals who vanished in the nation of East Africa in July of last year. Zaid Sami Kidwai and Zulfiqar Ahmad Khan were recognized as the missing Indians. They were allegedly kidnapped, according to reports.
Based on reports from October of last year, the two missing Indians were murdered by the now-dissolved Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) squad, according to a close advisor to the president of Kenya.
The two leaders Modi and Ruto also expressed gratitude for the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding between Goa Shipyard Ltd and Kenya Shipyard Ltd, which will open doors for profitable business partnerships and further Kenya’s goal of building shipbuilding, maintenance, and repair capabilities, according to the joint statement on defense cooperation.
“To reflect the current realities and to make the UN Security Council credible, representative, and effective, both sides emphasized the urgent need for reform of the UN Security Council, in both permanent and non-permanent membership categories,” the statement read.
