European Union has proved to be Kenya’s most reliable partner

When I started my term in Nairobi as the European Union’s Ambassador to Kenya, I found we could considerably improve how to engage with the government. We have started a fruitful political dialogue, which allows for a better understanding of our common goals. We might have been perceived, then, as only a development partner: Today we have a full partnership with Kenya across the board.

TERROR THREATS

This is also thanks to the positive developments by the government to promote sustainable development for the youthful population, free from fear and want. A year ago, after yet another challenging election cycle, President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga showed the strength of their vision by putting aside their divergences for the higher interest of Country and People.

Much has been achieved on the road to a paradigm shift. Their resolve in addressing the cancer of corruption, which eats into the people’s prosperity to the selfish advantage of a few, and considerable improvement in tackling terrorism and violent extremism, are encouraging developments.

In an increasingly uncertain and fragmenting world, the EU provides a safe shelter for such fundamental values as peace and stability, sustainable development, multilateralism, respect for human dignity, democracy and all of its indivisible fundamental rights.

That is why we managed to advance, over the past few years, our relations consistently and in many different fields. During the national emergency due to the 2017 drought, and the floods of 2018, the EU was not just the first to respond with concrete assistance, but with, by far, the biggest.

We’re also proud to have started positive cooperation in supporting Kenya’s fight against terrorism and violent extremism.

This is within the successful exercise Kenya has engaged in of increasing the effectiveness of its security response to terrorist threats, while addressing its causes by engaging at county level with local communities and civil society countrywide.

The EU has focused its new Joint Cooperation Strategy on job creation for Kenyan youth and the socio-economic advancement of women, without whose full contribution no society can credibly develop. Last year, for the first time, all the 19 EU member states represented in Kenya converged on such a strategy that we launched with the government in November to match the ‘Big Four Agenda’.

WORLD PEACE

The EU is Kenya’s most reliable international partner in providing investment in job creation, as well as the very markets where that investment will be delivering their products.

Last but not least, please do take advantage of the 57 movies we and our member states have brought to Nairobi for our European Film Festival: You will enjoy a comprehensive tour of Europe free of charge!

EU citizens face election time this month, but the bloc embodies the daily vote of our member states and our citizens working even closer together for the past 62 years.

The more united we are, the more we all will be able to protect our sovereignty in a world that is getting smaller by the day because of technology and its increasing population. And that is becoming every hour more complex and somehow fragmented, where more countries see abrasive criticism of the same multilateralism, which binds Kenya and the EU.

On May 9, 1950, then-Minister of Foreign Affairs of France Robert Schuman presented his proposal for the first pooling of resources that would establish the European Coal and Steel Community leading, seven years later, to the foundation of the EU.

In Schuman’s declaration that we turned into Europe Day, he gave a compelling reason to justify that course: “World peace cannot be safeguarded without the making of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which threaten it.” That’s the foundation the EU rests upon for all of its friends worldwide.

Mr Dejak is the European Union Ambassador to Kenya.