President hails Africa as important for Polish investment, development
Polish business perceives Africa as an important location for investment and development and Kenya is a key partner for Poland in eastern Africa, President Andrzej Duda said in Nairobi on Monday.
Duda was speaking during the opening of a Polish-Kenyan economic forum in the capital. He said support for Polish entrepreneurs and business people on foreign markets had been a consistent priority of his presidency. Duda also drew attention to the rapid growth in cooperation between the two countries, though he said more effort was needed to exploit the potential effectively.
The president said Poland saw Africa's importance in terms of technological innovation and stressed Kenya's attractiveness as a partner for the Polish ICT sector due in part to having one of Africa's most stable economic development records. He said the green technology and agri-food sectors were also fields for potential bilateral cooperation.
"Poland's relations with African countries have always been based on respect and understanding of mutual interests," Duda said. "We are not burdened by a colonial past or a history of oppressive relations. We have always had good relations with the countries and nations of Africa. This is a good foundation to build strong ties in the spirit of mutual benefits."
Duda went on to emphasise the need to build dialogue on global issues, particularly Russia's aggression against Ukraine, which he said had violated the international order and led to "an energy, economic and humanitarian crisis also felt here, on the African continent."
Kenya's president, William Samoei Ruto, expressed hope that the social and business meeting would provide an impetus to increasing cooperation between Nairobi and Warsaw and encouraged the relocation of some heavy industries to Kenya.
President Duda started a two-day visit to Kenya on Monday, the first trip to the country by a Polish president in the 61 years since the two states established diplomatic relations. (PAP)
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