Kenya plans to partner with Colombia to gain insights and expertise in coffee production and value-added processes.
This follows a brief encounter between President William Ruto and President Gustavo Petro of Colombia in Paris, France, at the Global Pact Finance Summit. The two presidents decided to look into new opportunities for collaboration, such as commerce and agriculture.
“In order to increase our exports, Kenya will collaborate with Colombia, one of the world’s top producers of coffee, to learn from its methods of production and value addition. We anticipate that this will increase income and support more livelihoods, added Ruto.
Kenya and Colombia signed agreements in May to support increased trade and knowledge sharing across a range of economic sectors.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Colombian Vice President Franica Elena Marquez Mina met to sign the MoUs. The creation of a Joint Commission for Cooperation, gender equality, and women’s empowerment were among the agreements inked. They also agreed to cooperate in the areas of teaching Spanish, promoting culture, tourism, higher education, trade and investment, and mining.
The two presidents agreed to work with the appropriate national authorities to create direct flights in order to improve trade connections between the two countries. Through fellowships in certain fields of competence, the relationships will be strengthened even further.
According to Marquez, the socioeconomic issues faced by the two nations are comparable, and he said that citizens will benefit from opportunities for collaboration as they work toward sustainable development.