Raisi kicks off African tour in Kenya, agreements to be signed
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The Iranian president is on a three-nation trip in Africa that aims to expand the country's political and economical foreign ties with friendly countries.
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Kenya's President William Ruto and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi during his official visit at the State House in Nairobi, Kenya, July 12, 2023 (Iranian Presidency)
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi landed in Kenya on his first stop as part of a scheduled three-state African tour he will be making this week.
Raisi, who is heading a cross-industry delegation, plans to establish stronger ties with the designated countries through his strip and sign bi-mutual agreements in several fields including the trade and financial sectors. His mission comes in line with Iran's strategy to strengthen relations with friendly nations and in pursuit of economic multilateralism.
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Raisi's visit marks the first by an Iranian president to Africa in 11 years and aligns with Iran's comprehensive foreign policy to strengthen relations with friendly nations and the pursuit of economic multilateralism, aiming to bolster Iran's presence in the African economy.
Arriving at the Nairobi airport Wednesday morning, Iran's president was greeted by Kenya's Foreign Secretary Alfred Mutua, after which he was given a state-reception ceremony from his Kenyan counterpart, William Ruto, at the presidential palace.
Kenya - Iran Media Briefing, State House, Nairobi. https://t.co/U5seR3nLHb
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) July 12, 2023
The visit, which will span three days, will involve meetings with high-ranking delegations, press conferences, and the signing of cooperation agreements.
President Raisi will also engage with local business leaders, economic actors, and officials to tap into shared economic and trade potentials.
Raisi's next destination will be Uganda, before making his tour-ending visit to Zimbabwe.
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I have this morning at JKIA received H.E. President Ebrahim Raisi of the Islamic Republic of Iran, who arrived in the country for a State Visit. pic.twitter.com/a00Juab9GK
— Dr. Alfred N. Mutua (@DrAlfredMutua) July 12, 2023
Before embarking his tour, Raisi expressed hope that it will have good outcomes across several fields including the commercial, scientific and technological.
“Contacts with African countries are today among the priorities of our foreign policy. The neighborliness policy and relations with Muslim and allied countries are among the issues of concern to the government,” he added.
Last month, the Iranian president went on an official tour to Latin America where he visited Nicaragua, Cuba, and Venezuela.
