Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua yesterday evening hosted his Sudanese counterpart, Vice President of the Sudan Transitional Sovereignty Council General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo at his office at Harambee House Annex as the two nations seek to deepen bilateral relations.
Gachagua said Kenya will continue to enhance its relations with Sudan so as to foster the existing bilateral ties enjoyed by the two Eastern Africa countries.
He added that Kenya is keen on ensuring the ties between the two nations remained strong and mutually beneficial.
The Deputy President noted that the two countries were close trading partners promising the government’s full support for the existing bilateral agreements.
“We appreciate the cooperation between our countries. Sudan imports a lot of tea from Kenya and we would like you to import more because our tea is the best in the world,” said the DP.
He said the government’s interest was to boost the partnership so the two nations could draw more benefits from the existing ties.
“We would like to increase the volume of trade between our countries,” he said.
General Dagalo congratulated Kenya for the peaceful elections and transition last year promising his country’s readiness to strengthen the relations.
“We are keen to enhance and strengthen the relations between our countries. We share many things; we can develop together economically. There are many opportunities that can still be activated,” said the Vice President.
The two leaders also said their countries will continue to play their role in sustaining peace in South Sudan.
“South Sudan is important to us as it is to Sudan in the peace of the region. Kenya will do what it can to ensure peace in South Sudan,” said the DP.
Dagalo said they were working to ensure the South Sudan Peace Agreement was fully implemented. He said there were complexities that still needed to be worked on but promised they were keen on clearing them.
Both countries are members of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) that has been spearheading the peace process in South Sudan.