Ruto
President William Ruto on Thursday morning departed for Burundi to attend the 23rd Summit of COMESA Heads of State and Government in Bujumbura.
State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohammed in a statement said this year’s summit celebrates the 30th anniversary of COMESA, a vital trading bloc with a combined market of 640 million people and a GDP of $1 trillion.
“COMESA represents a substantial market for Kenya, which currently holds a 12.4% share of the regional market, second only to Egypt. Between 2019 and 2023, Kenya’s exports to COMESA grew by 8.9%, highlighting the strong potential for regional trade and integration,” read the statement in part.
During his visit, Ruto will engage in high-level discussions aimed at bolstering Kenya’s relationships with key strategic partners, with a particular focus on strengthening regional value chains to deepen COMESA integration.
During the meeting, President Ruto will ask for a final extension of sugar safeguard measures to revitalize the sugar sector.
The Head of State will also be garnering support for Kenya’s bid to host the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) Secretariat, which unites three regional economic communities: COMESA, the East African Community, and the Southern African Development Community.
At the same time, Ruto will mobilize support for Kenya’s candidacy for the African Union Commission chairperson position.
He is also scheduled to meet with the Presidents of Egypt and Zambia, as well as the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, among others.
“The discussions with Egypt will focus on enhancing the Kenya-Egypt partnership, with a joint commitment to increase trade between the two nations,” Hussein stated.
Ruto will also have a bilateral meeting with Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema and will explore avenues to facilitate trade, including the formation of a Joint Trade Committee to address and resolve non-tariff barriers.
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