Kenya, Iran vow to enhance bilateral ties

Kenya and Iran have vowed to enhance their commercial and cultural ties, the Iranian ambassador to Kenya said on Wednesday. Malek Givzad told journalists in Nairobi that the Kenya-Iran Joint Cooperation Commission has already held five sessions. "We are currently setting the date for the sixth JCC meeting that will help us deepen our historic ties," Givzad said during celebrations to mark Iran's national day. He said that relations between Kenya and Iran dates back to the 15th century when Persian traders visited the east African coast. Iran opened its embassy in Kenya in 1971, while Kenya set up its embassy in Iran in 1988. He said there is strong bilateral cooperation in areas of agriculture as well as transnational crime. "We are ready to assist Kenya to adopt advanced technology that will help uplift the living standards of its citizens," he said. Gizvad said that both nations also cooperate on a number of multilateral issues. "Kenya is a key partner in Iran African partnership," he said. The envoy noted that bilateral trade is heavily in favor of Iran. In 2012, Kenya imported goods worth 24.3 million U.S. dollars from the Middle East nation while exporting 6 million dollars to the nation. "We are therefore working closely with our Kenyan counterparts so as to reduce the huge trade imbalance," he said. Kenyan goods consisted mostly of tea, coffee and vegetables while Iran sold chemicals, machinery and petroleum products to the East African nation. He added that Iran is seeking investment opportunities in the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia infrastructure project, Konza Technology city as well as in the energy sector. Kenya's Parliamentary Vice Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee Bare Shill urged Iran to take advantage of Kenya's strategic location in order to establish a presence in eastern and central Africa. "We are gateway to one of the fastest growing regions in the world," he said.