PM Anwar's Visit To Kenya Strengthens Mutual Trust, Political Goodwill

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 16 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's recent visit to Kenya has reinforced the trust and political goodwill between Malaysia and Kenya as both nations celebrate six decades of diplomatic relations.

Kenyan High Commissioner to Malaysia Ekitela Moru said Kuala Lumpur-Nairobi long-standing relations marked a historic milestone, reflected by shared values, growing political, economic, trade and investment and people-to-people ties between the two countries. 

“This partnership is not just symbolic, but it provides an opportunity to deepen cooperation in key priority areas, including trade, investment, information and communication technology (ICT), digital economy, education, as well as tourism.

“It also recognises the complementary strengths between the two countries, Kenya as a gateway to Africa and Malaysia as a hub for the Southeast Asia region,” he said on Bernama TV's programme The Nation, titled “Malaysia–Kenya: A Growing Partnership” on Tuesday.

Moru said Kenya is committed to pursuing an inclusive development, citing Malaysia's cultural values and development trajectory as a role model for building sustainable progress for the Kenyan people.

“We like following the footsteps of Malaysia in terms of development. We are committed to inclusive development as a sustainable development for our people. We are also working on poverty alleviation and inclusive growth of our people,” he said.

He added that Malaysia's experience in poverty reduction and large-scale affordable housing has inspired Kenya to strengthen its social protection measures, public-private partnerships, and inclusive development policies.

Anwar visited Nairobi on November 23 and 24, marking the first official trip by a Malaysian Prime Minister to Kenya since 2007.

During the visit, both countries agreed to explore partnerships and investments, including collaboration in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), and upgraded their bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership.

-- BERNAMA