The European Union (EU) Mission on Tuesday unveiled a new embassy in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, making Kenya the seat of its second largest foreign mission in the world after London.
After unveiling the embassy, EU High Representative Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini, met Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma, who described the opening as an acknowledgement of Kenya’s vital role as a regional hub.
“We see Kenya as not only a gateway to the region and to Africa but also as an important hub. I was pleased to inaugurate our new EU embassy here in Nairobi; it is the second largest in the world and this is not by coincidence,” she said.
“Our investments both economically and politically, in terms of security cooperation is key for the European Union and we value Kenya’s partnership enormously,” Mogherini added.
While having bilateral talks with the visiting EU envoy, CS Juma commended the EU’s efforts towards peace in Somalia through the Counter-terrorism Law Enforcement Project – Horn of Africa and Yemen.
It is on the same note that the CS announced that Kenya had formally asked for the EU support for its bid for a non-permanent membership of the UNSC for the 2021/22 term.
“We’ve had discussions around regional peace and security matters as well as integration. We’ve discussion cooperation in Somalia, South Sudan DR Congo as well as my request for EU’s support for Kenya’s bid for UNSC,” she said.
Mogherini also had talks with President Uhuru Kenyatta where she assured him of EU’s commitment to continue supporting peace and security activities in the horn of Africa and the entire East and Central Africa region
