LS Speaker Birla calls on Prez of Kenya

Nairobi (Kenya): Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who is leading an Indian Parliamentary Delegation (IPD) to Kenya and Tanzania, on Tuesday called on President of Kenya William Samoei Ruto at the Kenyan State House.
During the meeting, Birla extended best wishes on behalf of the IPD and the Parliament of India to him on his election as the President of Kenya.
The Speaker expressed hope that under his leadership India-Kenya bilateral relations will reach new heights of cooperation and prosperity and that it will also expand to new avenues like innovation and health.
Birla noted that India is ready to share its expertise and experience with Kenya in areas such as ICT, health, education etc.
Emphasising on the shared challenges being faced by both the countries, 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, he stressed.
Speaking about India’s rapid economic growth and its emergence as the world’s fifth largest economy, 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.
Birla added that in this direction, there must be regular exchange of business delegations between the two countries.
He said that both India and Kenya believe in democratic governance. Birla also emphasized that innovation and research is the currency of the information age and it is therefore important to collaborate with like-minded nations facing similar challenges.
Talking about enhanced cooperation between the maritime neighbors, the Speaker 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 climate change, Birla appreciated Ruto’s commitment to tackling the climate crisis, which he called a shared priority of both countries.
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.
He also met the Speaker of the Senate, Amason Jeffah Kingi.
The dignitaries, among other issues, discussed further strengthening parliamentary cooperation, formation of friendship groups and capacity building of Members.
Later Birla also visited the University of Nairobi and addressed the students there. (Kenya map credit-World Atlas)