Kenya, Botswana inks 3 pacts to shore up bilateral ties
NAIROBI, July 23 (Xinhua) — Kenya and Botswana on Tuesday signed three key agreements to help deepen bilateral ties between the two African countries.
The agreements, which cover bilateral trade, air transport and ICT, were signed at the end of talks held between visiting Botswana president Mokgweetsi Masisi and his host, President Uhuru Kenyatta, in Nairobi.
“I wish to reiterate Kenya’s steadfast commitment to continued cooperation with Botswana both at the bilateral and multilateral levels to further deepen our bonds of cooperation and friendship,” Kenyatta said in a statement issued after holding talks.
Kenyatta said his administration is keen to broaden the two countries’ areas of cooperation to include the minerals and mining sector, livestock breeding, trade, tourism promotion, agribusiness and manufacturing.
Of the three agreements signed, one was on the avoidance of double taxation while the others are a Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) and memorandum of understanding for cooperation in ICT.
The two delegations also discussed cooperation in the livestock sector, especially in disease control and movement of animals as well as opportunities for cooperation in training and capacity enhancement.
Kenyatta encouraged trade and investments through private public partnerships and joint ventures between business communities of the two countries as a way of strengthening both government-to-government and people-to-people interactions.
Kenyatta noted that the recent launch of the operational phase of Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in Niger was a step in the right direction towards continental trade integration and free movement of people, goods and services.
President Masisi, who is in Kenya on a three-day state visit said his private talks with Kenyatta and the bilateral meeting between their respective delegations goes to cement further the close historic ties enjoyed by the two countries. Enditem
