Nairobi
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President
Excellencies
Ladies and Gentlemen
I am very pleased to be here with you today. It’s a privilege for me and my delegation to visit your beautiful and important country.
Relations between Switzerland and Kenya are good and they have a long tradition. The aim of my visit is to find ways of making better use of our political and economic potential, and to further deepen relations.
There is already a tangible expression of this will on Switzerland’s part: the new embassy building inaugurated in February.
Kenya also offers very promising technology developments and opportunities for investors.
I would like to congratulate your country for having taken a series of initiatives making it easier to invest and do business.
The volume of bilateral trade between our countries has doubled since 2005. But there is still scope to further intensify and diversify our trade ties.
A Swiss business delegation will visit Kenya in the first half of next year to make the most of the available economic potential.
Today’s talks focused on the fight against corruption and respect for the rule of law, an exchange of experiences on healthcare, as well as regional and global affairs.
Switzerland and Kenya enjoy a close and productive cooperation in the area of fighting corruption.
The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters in 2017 was a milestone.
Switzerland has blocked financial assets related to the Anglo-Leasing corruption scandal and is waiting for the judicial proceedings to come to an end in Kenya.
This would allow Switzerland to return the blocked assets to Kenya.
Switzerland needs partners like Kenya in order to identify and freeze assets that have been acquired illegally and have found their way to Switzerland. It is also through partnership that agreement can be reached on how best to return these assets, in a way that benefits the people of the country concerned.
The signing of the Framework for the Return of Assets from Corruption and Crime in Kenya is the next step in our cooperation in this area.
This agreement will enable Switzerland to return assets of illegal origin to the Kenyan people in support of development projects.
We discussed the Kenyan government’s plans to expand public healthcare. In this sector in particular, which is so important for society and the economy, there is a great deal of potential to increase cooperation between our countries. Switzerland has a lot of know-how and experience in these areas.
Another important aspect of our talks was a discussion on regional security challenges. Topics included: Somalia, South Sudan as well as Eritrea and Ethiopia.
Kenya has been hosting big numbers of refugees for decades, which we acknowledge.
Switzerland also contributes substantially to support Kenya and other countries in the Horn of Africa to deal with this situation.
Tomorrow, I will visit the refugee camp in Kakuma, in order to get a firsthand impression on the spot.
Switzerland – like Kenya – has a long humanitarian tradition and works successfully with the Kenya Red Cross Society, especially to relieve the effects of the drought in Northern Kenya earlier this year.
Mr President
Ladies and Gentlemen
At a time when the multilateral system is put under high pressure, Switzerland strongly believes in international cooperation, respect for international law and the culture of dialogue. Switzerland appreciates the leading role Kenya is playing in the UN. We value our long-standing friendship with Kenya. And we look forward to an even closer partnership, based on mutual trust and a shared vision for the future.
Thank you!