Kenya and the United States on Tuesday discussed the need for all parties involved to promote peace and security in the Eastern, Central and the Horn of Africa regions.
The talks happened at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in in Nairobi where incoming Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy Marc Dillard paid a courtesy call on Permanent Secretary Macharia Kamau .
According to a dispatch by the ministry, the two also discussed issues anchored in the Kenya-US Strategic Partnership.
On June 14, 2022 during a virtual meeting, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Trade and Industrialization CS Betty Maina launched the United States-Kenya Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership.
Following their June 13 meeting in Geneva, Ambassador Tai and CS Maina agreed that the two governments will pursue enhanced engagement leading to high standard commitments to increase investment and promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
The activities will also work towards benefiting workers, consumers, and businesses (including micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises); and supporting African regional economic integration.
They identified the agriculture, anti-corruption, environment and climate change action, digital trade, good regulatory pravctices Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and promoting workers’ tights and protections as initial issues where they will develop a roadmap for enhanced cooperation to achieve economically meaningful outcomes.
Other areas are standards collaboration, and trade facilitation and customs procedures.
Dillard arrives three weeks after the arrival of US Ambassador Meg Whitman. Eric Kneedler was acting since Us Ambassador Kyle McCarter resigned after Joe Biden won the presidency.
In her first press briefing, Ambassador Whitman said the trade and investment partnership announced by Ambassador Tai and CS Maina is a great framework to build on the trade relations.
“There is a lot more that we can do and I am particularly focused at the Kenyan exports to the US, US exports to Kenya, and US Foreign Direct Investments in Kenya. I will be working very hard on that and I think the new trade agreement is a great beginning framework we can use to develop more trade between our two countries,” the envoy said.
New US envoy pledges to increase bilateral trade, investment ties
