Lok Sabha Camp Office, Nairobi (Kenya) 17 January : Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla, who is leading an Indian Parliamentary Delegation (IPD) to Kenya and Tanzania, called on the Hon’ble President of Kenya H.E. Dr. William Samoei Ruto, at the Kenyan State House, today.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Birla extended best wishes on behalf of the IPD and the Parliament of India to H.E. Dr. William Samoei Ruto, on his election as the President of the Republic of Kenya. Shri Birla expressed hope that under the leadership of Hon’ble Ruto India-Kenya bilateral relations will reach new heights of cooperation and prosperity and will also expand to new avenues like innovation, ICT and health. Shri Birla noted that India is ready to share its expertise and experience with Kenya in areas such as ICT, health, education etc. Emphasizing on the shared challenges being faced by both the countries, Shri Birla observed that India and Kenya have been victims of terrorism and that the two nations are fighting a common fight against terrorism. Global terror is the biggest challenge facing the world, stressed Shri Birla.
Speaking about India’s rapid economic growth and its emergence as the world’s fifth largest economy, Shri Birla underlined that India is one of Kenya’s most important economic and trade partners. He expressed the desire for exploring new areas of economic cooperation, between the two countries besides traditional sectors like agriculture and mining, in order to further enhance trade and investment between India and Kenya. Shri Birla added that in this direction, there must be regular exchange of business delegations between the two countries. Shri Birla added that both India and Kenya believe in democratic governance.
Shri Birla emphasized that innovation and research is the currency of the information age and is therefore it is important to collaborate with likeminded nations facing similar challenges. Shri Birla noted that Indian youth are at the forefront of solving some of the most complex challenges facing the world. Speaking about enhanced cooperation between the maritime neighbors, Shri Birla expressed joy at the fact that India is an important destination for health care and education for the Kenyan people. He added that a large number of Indians also visit Kenya as tourists. Mentioning about climate change, Shri Birla appreciated H.E. Ruto’s commitment to tackling the climate crisis, which he called a shared priority of both countries. Shri Birla added that The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is an important global alliance which is the initiative of India in the direction of climate change mitigation and hoped that Kenya would become a member of this organization soon.
