Kenya welcomes Finnish President Stubb for state visit

Finland's president Alexander Stubb's is on a three-day state visit to Kenya, the first ever by a Finnish head of state to the African country.

On Monday, Kenya and Finland signed two agreements on political consultations, peace mediation, and conflict resolution.

Speaking during a news conference after bilateral talks, Stubb and his Kenyan counterpart President William Ruto reaffirmed their joint commitment to the implementation of the Kenya-European Union Economic Partnership Agreement, which came into force in July 2024.

Stubb lauded Kenya as a country with a global voice on peace and conflict resolution.

"Whether it is Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine or whether it's issues in the Middle East, Kenya has always been one of those pillars of peace and that is why I'm especially happy that we have signed the memorandum of understanding linked to peace mediation," Stubb said.

Stubb added he was also seeking closer economic cooperation with Kenya.

"I'm also happy that we have a big business delegation here today because I do think that driving business interests, cooperation is a good way forward,"

Ruto for his part added Finland's expertise in education, technology, renewable energy and climate action "aligns closely with Kenya's development priorities."