Meeting with Speaker of the Senate of the Republic of Kenya Amason Jeffah Kingi

Belarus intends to advance cooperation with Kenya in the same rapid and effective manner as it has with other African nations, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with Speaker of the Senate of the Republic of Kenya Amason Jeffah Kingi on 9 December.

Welcoming the foreign guest, the head of state noted at the outset: “It is good that you have come. Public diplomacy at the highest level is always of great importance.” In this regard, the President recalled his visit to Kenya in December 2023 and his talks with President William Ruto. “I remember my visit to Kenya very well. Please convey my best regards to the President of Kenya. I found him to be a very kind and decent person. Although it was a short visit, I remember even the details,” the Belarusian leader remarked.

Aleksandr Lukashenko noted that Kenya, like other African countries, is already well known to Belarus. He suggested taking more active steps to finalize a cooperation roadmap, the draft of which is currently under review by the Kenyan side, and to then develop a corresponding implementation plan. “We need to develop a corresponding action plan based on this roadmap. That is, to update the roadmap taking into account the needs of both countries. When there is a plan and people responsible for implementing certain points and areas, then there will be results,” the head of state noted.

“In short, we are very interested in cooperation with your country. We already have experience [in cooperating with African countries],” the Belarusian leader emphasized. “I believe that with Kenya, given the positive examples, we will cooperate as quickly and efficiently as we have with Zimbabwe, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt, and so on. In short, we are open to your country.”

Amason Jeffah Kingi first thanked the Belarusian head of state for the opportunity to meet: “On behalf of myself, our delegation, and the entire Kenyan people, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the warm welcome you have given us. The people of Belarus are very friendly. But the weather, unfortunately, is not.”

“Well, it’s good for you, for a change,” the President replied humorously. He recounted that during a recent long trip abroad, he had been in a region with a climate similar to Kenya’s. “It’s very, very sunny there, and we missed this weather,” the head of state said. 

Continuing the conversation, Amason Jeffah Kingi recalled the Belarusian President’s visit to Kenya in December 2023 and the talks between the two leaders. He remarked: “I am very happy that you were able to visit our country. Let me convey the best wishes from your brother, President William Ruto.”

The parliamentarian also highlighted the productive nature of his visit to Minsk and his meetings with Belarusian counterparts. “First of all, we discussed areas of bilateral cooperation with the senators, as well as opportunities for interaction between the parliaments of our countries. I am very pleased that we signed a memorandum of understanding, which clearly outlines the areas of cooperation we will pursue further,” he emphasized.

Furthermore, the agenda of the visit included exploring opportunities for Belarusian-Kenyan cooperation beyond public diplomacy. Amason Jeffah Kingi noted: “Indeed, there is great potential and numerous opportunities for cooperation between our countries, including in agriculture, healthcare, high technology, and tourism.”