President of Iran, Dr. Ebrahim Raisi on Wednesday arrived in Kenya’s capital Nairobi for a state visit according to the State House.
Dr.Raisi was officially welcomed by his Kenyan counterpart William Samoei Ruto at the State House where the the two presidents held their private talks.
After Kenya, the Iranian leader is scheduled to proceed to neighbouring Uganda and later will head for Zimbabwe.
The visit of President Raisi is aimed at increasing Iran’s presence in Africa’s $600-billion economy.
This is the first time after 11 years that an Iranian president makes a tour of Africa.
Holding bilateral meetings, attending intergovernmental committees, taking part in joint press briefings, and meeting with trade persons and economic officials in the three countries are on the agenda of the Iranian president’s visit to Africa.
Prior to Raisi’s arrival, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian talked with his Kenyan counterpart, Alfred Mutua, over the phone.
The two diplomats discussed the state of bilateral relations between Tehran and Nairobi and went over the documents that the Iranian president is expected to sign when he visits the African nation this week.
Amirabdollahian told his Kenyan counterpart that the Iranian government places a premium on the expansion of relations with African countries, including Kenya, in a “balanced and comprehensive” manner.
Mutua, in turn, said Kenya was willing to deepen its ties with the Islamic Republic in all areas and will sign cooperation documents with Tehran during President Raisi’s visit to Nairobi.
