President William Ruto on Tuesday, January 24, held bilateral talks with his Fench Counterpart Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris, during his official visit to the country.
According to a statement shared by the State House, the meeting centred on, among other items, the strengthening of trade ties between the two nations.
Whilst admitting the existence of strong ties, Ruto and Macron committed to adopting measures aimed at diversifying and harnessing existing business opportunities between Kenya and France.
They also agreed to enhance their cooperation in developmental projects.
French President Emmanuel Macron (left) and President William Ruto (right) share a light moment during the latter’s state visit to France on January 24, 2023.
State House Ruto noted that the sustained cooperation in trade and infrastructure was a manifestation of the strong ties.
“This has manifested through sustained cooperation in areas of trade, energy, health, water, infrastructure, and agriculture, among others,” explained President Ruto.
The President also discussed Kenya’s involvement in security operations to restore peace within the East and Central African region.
Further, President Ruto held a meeting with representatives of the French Business Community on the sidelines of his meeting with Macron,” read a statement from State House.
“In a meeting between President William Ruto and Emmanuel Macron at Elysee Palace in Paris on Tuesday, the two leaders admitted to further cooperation in peace and security in the East African region.
According to State House, Ruto seized the opportunity to push for increased trade and investment in Kenya in a bid to bolster Kenya’s position in international trade.
The Kenya Kwanza administration has been on record stating that it will work on establishing stronger trade ties as its foreign policy, as opposed to the earlier trend of borrowing from international partners.
Ruto was on a one-day official to the European nation as part of his two-day tour that started on Monday, January 23.
He is later expected to tour Senegal in the West African region, where he will be a keynote speaker at a summit in Dakar on food, sovereignty, and resilience.
President William marches during his reception at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Tuesday, January 24, 2023.
State House
