President seeks closer ties with Africa

Sri Lanka’s new High Commissioner to Nairobi, Veluppillai Kananathan, has told Kenyan President Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s government is keen to promote ties with Africa and in particular with Kenya which is an active member of the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA). 

The Sri Lanka High Commission in Kenya is also concurrently accredited to eight other African countries in the region.

Kananathan presented the Letter of Credence appointing him as High Commissioner to Kenya to President Kenyatta recently at the State House in Nairobi.

President Kenyatta has recalled the cordial and close relations that he had enjoyed with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and said that he looked forward to working closely with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to deepen the bonds and advance bilateral relations between Kenya and Sri Lanka.

The Kenyan President appreciated Sri Lanka’s approach and focus on Africa saying that the regional economic prospects in Africa and Asia should complement each other for greater prosperity of the respective people and opined that Sri Lanka should continue her efforts to expand relations with Africa to new heights. 

President Kenyatta said that Sri Lanka and Kenya had consistently shared common views on global issues and extended support to each other at multilateral forums and suggested strengthening of such cooperation and good will between the two countries.