KENYA/FRANCE AGREEMENT:
20.04.2011
Kenya and France today signed a new partnership agreement for closer cooperation in areas of international security, climate change, economic partnership, development aid and education, cultural and scientific collaboration.
Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Mr Francois Fillon, the Prime Minister of France, signed the declaration for a strengthened France-Kenya partnership in Paris today at a ceremony held at Mr Fillon’s offices in Paris.
The agreement envisages closer cooperation in the fight against international crime, including piracy, terrorism, drug and human trafficking, corruption and money laundering.
In the agreement, the two countries also restated their commitment to the creation of a world environment organization to be located in Nairobi. The environment organization is to reflect the central role that environment occupies and will continue to occupy.
The declaration stated that the two nations would exploit their strategic positions for mutual benefit, stating that while Kenya is a dynamic economy that occupies a strategic position in Africa, France has a critical position in the European Union and close ties with Africa.
The agreement further acknowledges that Kenya and France share a common aspiration to consolidate Africa’s presence in international for and discussions on global issues.
Mr Odinga is in Paris for the launch of the Paris-Nairobi Climate Initiative which seeks to accelerate access to clean energy for Africa and countries most vulnerable to climate change.
The Paris-Nairobi Initiative is meant to contribute to the ability of the vulnerable nations to secure fast-start funds to finance climate initiatives, develop sustainable electricity generation, transmission and distribution.
Kenya and France have drawn a White Paper on access to Sustainable Energy.
The Paper identifies energy and climate projects that can be prioritized for quick gains. These will include projects to be implemented through Public-Private Partnership ahead of the 17th United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Durban and the International Year for Sustainable Energy in 2012.
The Initiative will also identify a club of financial contributors that will coordinate efforts in the energy sector. The club is to be made up of all the donors that are keen on investing in clean energy.
The Paris-Nairobi Initiative on Clean energy will end with its resolutions on Friday.
The new partnership agreement the two leaders signed is specific to Kenya and France. It cites the Paris-Nairobi Initiative, which covers Africa and beyond, as a recent, yet strong sign of the determination by the two countries to work together.
Under the agreement, Kenya and France will hold regular high level meetings at least once every year, in either Paris or Nairobi.
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