By Ebi Kesiena
Kenya and Zimbabwe have committed to enhancing diplomatic ties anchored on the expansion of trade, agriculture and investment.
The two countries made the commitment at a meeting between President William Ruto and Emmerson Mnangagwa in Dakar, Senegal.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Dakar 2 – Feed Africa Summit.
A statement from the State House noted that the two leaders stressed the need for African countries to trade more among themselves through the Africa Continental Free Trade Area.
Kenya and Mozambique also agreed to boost trade and agriculture ties with Ruto and his Mozambique counterpart President Filipe Nyusi saying the two countries will prioritise agricultural value addition, especially in the tea, sugar and coffee sectors.
Ruto emphasised the importance of regional blocs in the facilitation of the movement of goods and people.
“This will provide an improved framework for trade and investment without unnecessary hurdles,” Ruto said.
On Wednesday, Ruto also held talks with Morocco’s Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch in Dakar.
Ruto said the two countries which enjoy deep-rooted economic relations in trade, agriculture, health, tourism and energy, are committed to accelerating and strengthening their strategic ties for the shared benefit of the citizens of the two countries.
“We will build partnerships, share requisite knowledge and mobilise more funding that will not only increase productivity but also add value to our agriculture,” Ruto said.
He said it’s they believe that this can be set in motion through Public-Private Partnerships.
During the summit, Ruto chaired a food and agriculture delivery session on the sidelines of the Dakar 2 Summit – Feed Africa.
The conference was attended by investors, experts and policymakers in the agriculture sector in Africa.
