First Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniyenko paid a working visit to the Republic of Kenya. The meetings primarily focused on developing interparliamentary cooperation and practical areas of collaboration between Ukraine and Kenya.
In particular, Oleksandr Korniyenko met with the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya Gladys Boss and representatives of the Committee on National Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Relations. The parties discussed deepening bilateral cooperation, in particular at a parliamentary level, as well as the ways of practical cooperation.
During the meeting with Deputy Speaker of the Senate of Kenya Kathuri Murungi and senators, significant attention was devoted to developing cooperation in education, particularly opportunities for Kenyan students to study in Ukraine. They also discussed food security, agricultural cooperation, and Ukraine's role in supplying food to countries for which this issue is of paramount importance.
Oleksandr Korniyenko took part in a commemoration ceremony honoring the fallen defenders of Ukraine and soldiers of East Africa. Honoring those who gave their lives defending their state and their people became an important part of the visit and a symbol of mutual respect for the historical memory of both countries.
Economic cooperation constituted a distinct dimension of the visit. The First Deputy Speaker held a meeting with the leadership of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) — KNCCI President Dr. Erick Rutto and National Director and Chair of the Economic Diplomacy Committee Cynthia Nyawira. The participants examined opportunities to strengthen direct contacts between Ukrainian and Kenyan businesses, foster trade and investment, and identify promising areas for joint projects.
"Developing relations with Kenya and other African states remains an important direction of Ukrainian parliamentary diplomacy. Our task is to translate political dialogue into concrete cooperation: between parliaments, state institutions, universities, and businesses in those areas where Ukraine and Kenya share common interests," noted Oleksandr Korniyenko.
