Excellencies,
Distinguished guests,
What a pleasure to be here with you. Indeed, it is for me a very special moment too and it is a pleasure to be back in Nairobi. I want to express how much the European Union values this partnership with Kenya. It is very important for us. We may be on different continents, but we are so close at heart. We both champion democracy and human rights. We both are strong advocates of an international rules-based order. In this regard, I thank you for supporting Ukraine, our neighbour and aspiring member. And I want you to know that the European Union welcomes and supports your constructive role for peace and stability in the East African region and in the Horn of Africa.
Partnerships like ours are precious. And because they are so precious, in the times we live in, they need to be strengthened. This is what we are doing here today, very concretely, with the signature of the EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement. Indeed, we already have a thriving trade relationship. The European Union is Kenya's first export destination and second largest trading partner. And as it has been said, our bilateral trade amounted to more than EUR 3 billion last year. But now, this Agreement will fully open the European market for Kenya's products as soon as it enters into force. So the door is open, tariff-free, quota-free. This will boost your exports tremendously. It will give an incentive to scale up, to create good jobs here. At the same time, and this was very important for us, our Agreement is fair, and it is sustainable. Because it takes into account your need to open your market only gradually, so there is a long transformation period. Important is for you is that certain products come to the Kenyan market, like the imports of machinery from the European Union that are crucial here to produce. But the Economic Partnership Agreement also includes very special safeguards for agriculture and food security. So it is important for us that we bring products to the Kenyan market that are necessary here to produce, but that we do not compete with local products, so that this is a fair and sustainable agreement.
This Agreement also represents countless new opportunities for Kenya's businesses – as I said, to scale up and to create good jobs. And for us, it is a precious contribution to our diversification strategy. For the European Union, it is very important to strengthen our supply chains and diversify them with trusted like-minded partners, and Kenya is a trusted like-minded partner. So we are deepening trade ties and we are building up our own economic resilience, so this Economic Partnership Agreement is a win-win situation on both sides. It is also very important for us that whatever cooperation and trade we have together that, as you have said, President Ruto, there is added value and creation of jobs locally. This is very important, that the raw product is not extracted and taken outside the country, but that the added value is created here, that the supply chain is built here to create good jobs locally. I think this is a new approach, but a very important one.
Then, as you said President Ruto, the agreement is open to the other states of the Eastern African Community. This makes Kenya a trendsetter, a pioneer. You are showing how to move forward. We encourage the other Eastern African countries to join this Economic Partnership Agreement. They can only benefit from the regional integration. And of course, it is important here in the region, also amongst yourselves, to open the markets. And finally, this Agreement also mirrors our shared values. It includes provisions on labour rights, gender equality and the most ambitious provisions on climate and environment that we ever had in a trade agreement with an African country.
Why was this possible? It is possible because Kenya is a champion what protection of climate and environment is concerned. This is a domain where Kenya leads by example. I was here in September for the Africa Climate Summit. You really made Africa's voice heard and you set the tone. I will never forget how strongly you advocated that you are part of the solution. It perfectly paved the way for a successful COP28. And this is also your success, dear President. I want to thank you for that, for your determination and your strong stance on that one. We all know that climate change impacts Africa more than any other continent. You know this all too well. You have recently been hit by heavy floods with devastating effects. We stood right by your side. Kenya has long understood that the green transition is the way to mitigate the destructive impact of climate change and, at the same time, to deeply transform your economy. You called it 'go green'. You have launched your 'green industrialisation' efforts. We gladly support them via our Global Gateway Strategy. Global Gateway is the European investment programme abroad. And with Global Gateway we invest almost EUR 3.5 billion for Kenya's green transition. There are over 150 green Global Gateway projects here in Kenya in the making. Clean mobility is one example with the Nairobi Clean Bus Rapid Transit Line 3. We discussed this in March during your visit to Brussels. I also want to mention, which is very dear to my heart, the Green Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap for Kenya. This is something very special. We signed it together in September. Green hydrogen is one of the energies of tomorrow. The whole world is asking for it. Therefore, this Roadmap is helping you towards your goal to become a clean hydrogen hub, a front-runner, with the European Union's financial support. So overall, you are on your best way to become a renewables powerhouse, reaching your ambitious target of 100% clean energy by 2030. But if I hear that you are already at 91% now, I have not the slightest doubt that you will reach your ambitious goal. Most importantly, it will create good jobs in the energy sector for your people – especially for the vibrant youth. And it will of course give people access to energy. This is one of the main jobs that we have to deliver. On this basis, we want to go a step further. We invite you to start working with us on a green partnership between the European Union and Kenya. There is so much to identify and good policy experiences and best practices to share, and to make the green transition a success at the scale of our continents.
To conclude, I want to thank you personally again, dear President, for hosting me here in Nairobi. With our Economic Partnership Agreement, we are opening a new chapter in our very strong relationship. Now, our efforts should be focused on implementation, we have to deliver for the people. I am looking forward to working with you very closely on that.
