- On May 24, Italy co-organised a high-level pledging event, convening donors in New York for a collective effort against the drought.
- Our countries are also exchanging expertise and capacity building to better face global threats, in sectors like countering drug trafficking and violent extremism.
Image: PCS
On June 2, Italy celebrates its National Day, the commemoration of the founding of the Italian Republic in 1946.
It is a significant historical coincidence that the day in which the Italians decided, through a democratic referendum, to change the institutional pattern of the state from a monarchy into a republic, comes so close to the Madaraka Day, June 1, when 60 years ago Kenya also attained independence and self-rule.
This remarkable concurrence provides us with the chance to celebrate the strong and longstanding ties between our two countries: two republics, two democracies, two anchors of the rules-based international order, two peoples with a long history of friendship and cooperation.
In fact, Italy and Kenya first established diplomatic relations in 1964.
This year when Kenya celebrates its 60th anniversary since attaining independence, we have also been honoured by the historic state visit - last March - by the President of Italy Sergio Mattarella.
He was especially keen on choosing Nairobi as his destination (instead of a tour in other countries in the region, as it is indeed common), which constitutes a special sign of attention toward Kenya.
Many important documents have been signed on that occasion, including a Multi-Annual Indicative Development Cooperation Strategy, titled “Kenya-Italy Sustainable Development Partnership 2023-2027”, where the Italian financial commitment amounts to 100 million Euros, out of which 35 million Euros in grants and 65 million Euros in soft loans.
A strategy that was jointly designed in order to be aligned with Kenyan priorities in terms of growth and development, supporting a wide range of projects in the areas of education, health, agriculture and infrastructure.
The visit a was also a stock-taking moment of the bilateral economic relations between Kenya and Italy, and despite the already good level of exchanges in terms of goods, services and investments, we still saw a great, untapped potential.
That is why, just last April, the Italian government decided to open an office of the Italian Trade Agency in Nairobi, as a new operational branch of the embassy with the goal of fostering opportunities and facilitating matchmaking between Italian and Kenyan companies.
This effort is complemented by Italy’s consistent push, within the European Union, to proceed toward the Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and Kenya, that will provide a more structured framework to develop our trade.
As for investments, apart from the huge number of companies owned or managed by Italian entrepreneurs living in this country (especially in the world-renowned hospitality sector), many Italian multinational companies registered a branch here in these last years, valuing the promising features of the local and regional markets.
During the state visit, President Mattarella went also to the Luigi Broglio Space Centre of Malindi, a unique asset of excellence in our bilateral relations that can leverage the huge potential of the space domain for the mutual benefit of both our countries, in technological and scientific terms.
These strong ties are built on shared values and interests. Both countries are committed to democracy, human rights and the rule of law, while working together to promote peace, prosperity and stability in the Horn of Africa.
In this regard, on May 24, Italy co-organised a high-level pledging event, convening donors in New York for a collective effort against the drought that has been affecting Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia. Our countries are also exchanging expertise and capacity building to better face global threats, in sectors like countering drug trafficking and violent extremism.
Meanwhile, Italy has also been a major contributor and sponsor, within the EU, of the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amison, now renamed Atmis), while constantly providing naval assets for EU Operation Atalanta, that supports maritime security in the western Indian Ocean, also to the benefit of Kenya.
I am thus confident that the strong partnership between our two countries will continue to grow in the years to come, building up a prosperous and democratic future for the Kenyan and Italian peoples.
The writer is the deputy permanent representative of Italy to UNEP and UN-Habitat