Nairobi
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Discours prononcé en anglais. Texte original, non traduit.
Mr President
Excellencies
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is a privilege for me to visit your beautiful country. Let me thank you for your warm welcome and your hospitality.
I am here to reaffirm a friendship dating back to 1963. Switzerland was one of the first countries to recognise the Republic of Kenya as an independent state.
The friendship grew and the bilateral success story goes on. Swiss Airlines brought – and indeed still bring – Swiss tourists to Kenya. Switzerland helped found the famous Utalii College. And three years ago, the Kenya Red Cross Society and a Swiss hospitality school from Lucerne together founded the Boma International Hospitality College.
Mr. President, in your invitation you highlighted tourism and hospitality as one main field of cooperation between our countries.
The other field you mentioned is our joint fight against corruption. This partnership goes back many years as well.
The glue in a functioning democracy are strong institutions. Corruption destroys those institutions and with them the dreams and aspirations of the people.
Therefore it is important to fight corruption on all levels. Switzerland stands with Kenya as a partner in this critical endeavour.
Specifically, Switzerland has blocked financial assets related to the Anglo-Leasing scandal. Once the case is closed, my government stands ready to return the blocked assets to the Kenyan people.
Together with your administration we have negotiated a Framework for the Return of Assets from Corruption and Crime in Kenya which we signed today. This is an important message to the Kenyan people.
Let me touch upon one more field of cooperation: our multilateral cooperation and Kenya’s leadership in this.
When it comes to the Sustainable Development Goals, it was Kenyan leadership in multilateral diplomacy that brought the world community together on a common agenda.
Kenya was also one of the leading U.N. member states that put universal health care on the map of the international community.
Mr President, universal health care is one of the central goals for your government in the next couple of years.
We have also learned of the important role that the First Lady plays in these efforts and of how deeply she is committed to this cause.
Delivering health care, education and jobs are governmental priorities around the world.
Let me finish by saying something about culture, which like politics and business can help build bridges between our countries.
Mr President
Ladies and Gentlemen
The new embassy building in Nairobi, the Chancery, was inaugurated in February.
This investment shows that Switzerland strongly believes in Kenya’s bright future. The message of my government is: Switzerland is here to stay!
I would now like to raise my glass to the friendship and prosperity of our countries and their people, and to wish you all good health and prosperity too!