Kenya and Republic of the Congo have signed 18 cooperation agreements in various fields of mutual interest, including oil and gas, agriculture and livestock, micro and small enterprises, mining industries and geology, tourism and trade, as well as diplomatic training.
The signing of the memorandums of understating between the two nations on cooperation in abovementioned areas was attended by the Kenyan president, who was in Brazzaville on a state visit. He was received by his Congolese counterpart Denis Sassou Nguesso at the Palais du Peuple.
During a media briefing in Brazzaville, President Ruto announced that the countries had agreed to remove visa restrictions to ease the movement of people and thus enhance bilateral trade.
"We, the Government of Kenya, have already taken the decision that nationals of Congo-Brazzaville will no longer need visas to enter Kenya. This will enable us to increase trade between our two countries. Our peoples, businessmen and others need this," President Ruto said.
Moreover, the Kenyan leader noted that the government is working on resuming direct flights between Nairobi and Brazzaville. He expressed his intention to relaunch Kenya Airways between the two capitals by the end of this year.
Noting that the nations enjoy longstanding "cordial relations" based on mutual respect and beneficial collaboration, Ruto highlighted that the agreements will help to unlock "massive untapped trade opportunities."
"The ties with the Republic of Congo provides us with a unique opportunity to reinvigorate our bilateral relations, reaffirm our steadfast commitment to multilateralism and our unwavering unity of purpose as Africans. The various agreements and MoUs signed today will unlock the huge trade potential between our two countries," the president stated.
After the meeting at the Palais du Peuple, the leaders headed to Oyo, a town located in the Cuvette region, over 400 km from Brazzaville, to visit a number of production facilities and agricultural farms in the area.
In Oyo, Nguesso and Ruto also held talks with Faustin-Archange Touadera, president of the Central African Republic. During the meeting, the African leaders reiterated their commitment to enhancing ties, noting that the countries will continue to work closely on countering terrorism to ensure peace, security, and stability in the region.
Earlier, Ruto participated in a joint session of the Congolese parliament in Brazzaville. He addressed the country's lawmakers, reiterating the need for Africa to invest more in infrastructure development, as well as remove trade barriers and visa restrictions to unlock the free trade potential of the continent.
He also took part in a business forum that brought together Kenyan and Congolese investors. The president called on entrepreneurs "to take advantage of the close Kenya-Congo" relations to increase the trade volume between the nations and thus boost growth, and broaden economic opportunities of people.