NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 17 — Kenya opened its Embassy in Jarkata, Indonesia, in a move described as a momentous step towards enhancing cooperation between the two nations and foster diplomatic relations established in 1982.
Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amb, Raychelle Omamo officiated the opening ceremony on Thursday, Friday in Indonesia, in the company of her counterpart Retno Lestari Marsudi.
Indonesia opened its diplomatic mission in Nairobi in 1982.
“The opening of this Mission is no doubt a momentous occasion, because it marks an incredible milestone in our bilateral relations since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1982. It is, therefore, with deep appreciation that I commend the Government of Indonesia for the immense support and facilitation extended to us towards the establishment of this Mission,” Omamo said in remarks delivered at the opening ceremony.
Marsudi on her part described the opening of the Embassy as a milestone saying “the opening of the embassy is an important momentum for the bilateral relations between Kenya and Indonesia to bring our two nations closer”.
The new mission is expected to bring consular services closer for all Kenyans resident in Indonesia.
In addition, the new embassy is expected to help our two countries to
reinvigorate bilateral relations and add the momentum to existing
collaborations, the Foreign Office said.
Relations between the two countries has broadened over the years with cooperation in various fields that include Trade and Investment; Agriculture and Fisheries; Education and Human Resource Skills Development; Defence and Security; ICT and Industrialization; Affordable Health Care; Housing and Urban Development; Culture and Tourism, Energy and Mineral Resources.
As an emerging economic power, Indonesia is a high-potential partner in Kenya’s
national development agenda, particularly in trade and industrialization, security and
police cooperation, finance, investments, universal healthcare, and urban development.
Indonesia views Kenya not only as a promising market but also as a gateway to the
East African Region.
Indonesia is also a promising market for a variety of Kenya’s exports.
Kenya’s main exports to Indonesia include tea, coffee and coffee substitutes, tobacco, vegetables, leather, and metallic salts.
“With the establishment of a fully- fledged diplomatic mission, Kenya is keen to strengthen the relationship and increase the value of its exports to Indonesia by shifting its export base from agricultural and mineral-based raw materials to value-added manufactured products and is seeking public and private partnerships with Indonesia in technology transfer, capacity building, training and investment in the entire value chain,” MFA said.
“We shall work to ensure that we have regular political consultations to strengthen the relations between Kenya and Indonesia to ensure we increase investment opportunities for the benefit of the people of the two countries. We hope that the opening of this mission will lead to the realization of the potential that exists between our two countries,” CS Omamo said.
Omamo noted that in the recent past the Kenyan government has commissioned the opening of six new resident diplomatic mission and consulates globally as “we seek to expand our global footprint, strengthening our bilateral engagement and people-to-people interactions as imperative and as we promote mutually beneficial international cooperation”.
Kenya and Indonesia have a long historical relationship that dates back to the first
Asian- African or Afro- Asian Conference in 1955 in Bandung, Indonesia.
In April 2018, Kenya participated in the first-ever Asia-Africa Forum (IAF) in Bali, Indonesia.
