Kenya and Ethiopia have renewed their commitment to the full implementation of the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor (LAPSSET) projects as key enablers of the transformation of the two economies.
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said that the regional infrastructure initiative is central to the unlocking of the economic potential of not only Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan but that of the entire East African region.
We also called for the fastracking of the ongoing transformation of Moyale town into a cross-border trade hub in the region in line with the 2012 Special Status Agreement (SSA) | @PMEthiopia pic.twitter.com/7B5ezbf1Bu— Uhuru Kenyatta (@UKenyatta) March 1, 2019
Speaking when they presided over the official opening of a two-day Kenya-Ethiopia high level trade forum in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the two leaders promised to deepen trade and economic ties between the two countries.
“In my mind, the LAPSSET project has great promise of transforming our countries and improving the living conditions of our people,” President Kenyatta said.
“Kenya and Ethiopia resolved to partner in developing first class infrastructure projects connecting our great nations and the continent. By this I have in mind the LAPSSET project which Kenya is, for sure, still fully committed to,” he added.
President Kenyatta is in Ethiopia on a two-day official visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and is accompanied by a high powered trade delegation.
Besides pursuing joint infrastructure projects, President Kenyatta and PM Abiy called for the fastracking of the ongoing transformation of Moyale town into a cross-border trade hub in the region in line with the 2012 Special Status Agreement (SSA).
“The SSA provides a good framework for today’s discussions. The four main areas covered by the Agreement-Trade, Investment, Infrastructure, Food Security and Sustainable Livelihoods-are key in building our relations, promoting our economies and more so, enabling the private sector to thrive,” President Kenyatta said.
President Kenyatta invited the Ethiopian private sector to invest in the big 4 agenda projects as he challenged the business community to innovate new opportunities for trade collaboration between Kenya and Ethiopia.
“The Big 4 Agenda, on Food security; Affordable Housing; Manufacturing and Affordable Healthcare offers concrete investment opportunities, and I welcome the Ethiopian private sector to partner with us,” he said.