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As we celebrate this year's Europe Day on May 9, we have great confidence and satisfaction in the many ways in which our partnership with the Government and people of Kenya is progressing.

Looking back over the past year, the strength of this partnership has enabled us to respond effectively to crises, most notably the stalling last summer of the Economic Partnership Agreement and more recently the impact of the drought on Kenya and its neighbours.

By working closely together, we've been able to maintain the free access of Kenyan exports to the EU, which is this country's biggest export market, despite the delays of other countries in signing the Economic Partnership Agreement. I'm also proud that the EU was the first international partner to help Kenya address the worst consequences of the drought, by supplying as much as Sh4.5 billion in funding to this country.

With more 500 million consumers, the European Union is the world's biggest single market, the world's biggest exporter and importer. The EU is also Kenya's largest trading partner. Some 26 per cent of the country's exports go to the EU including major exports such as tea, coffee, cut flowers, peas and beans.

The floriculture sector has benefited particularly strongly from its access to the EU market, which is the destination of 70 per cent of all the flowers that Kenya produces. This supports more than half a million Kenyans who depend on the floriculture sector for their livelihoods.

HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

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The EU is also the biggest provider of humanitarian aid in the world, and the biggest provider of development assistance in the world. In Kenya we provide about 100 million Euros a year in development assistance. The EU's partnership with Kenya cuts across all sectors and geographical areas of the country, ranging from roads, energy and entrepreneurship, to education, healthcare and agriculture.

The EU's development assistance supports the Government's Vision 2030 development strategy, focusing on four main areas: food security and resilience to climate change, sustainable infrastructure, accountability of public institutions, and agriculture and rural development. Meanwhile European companies lead the way in investing in these areas, contributing greatly to growth, jobs and tax revenues.

Most important of all for Kenya's economy is the private sector, which is the engine of inclusive growth, job-creation and long-term prosperity. This has helped create the conditions needed for private enterprises to thrive and so contribute to economic growth and poverty reduction. Kenya has built a strong foundation through a manufacturing sector that is embracing modern technology, scaling up value-added output, and creating nearly a million new jobs a year.

This is critical to absorb Kenya's rapidly rising population, to provide the country's youth with the skills they need to participate fully in the country's future. In doing so, it is also making Kenya more resilient to domestic and external shocks.

The European Union and Kenya have now travelled together on the road to greater prosperity for 40 years. This journey, and our support for Kenya's development goals, is reflected in our new Annual Report (known as the Blue Book) whose theme this year is Investing for Development. Our engagement and partnership with the Government of Kenya has contributed to this country's transformation, boosting the power of the private sector as the key driver of economic growth and structural change. We are proud to have helped Kenya graduate from a poor, low-income country to one with great prospects for even faster economic growth and shared prosperity.

Supporting the private sector and public-private partnerships in these areas improves the lives of the poor and delivers on our promise of sustainable and socially-inclusive economic development.

We also encourage the private sector to get involved in green enterprises in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda for a better world. Our policies and programmes cushion European investors in developing countries against risks, providing for up to 88 billion Euros to be invested this year in African partnerships.

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BUDDIES

Over the past decade, the European Commission has supplied an average of 350 million Euros a year for private sector development programmes around the world. We are proud of this investment which, together with the development assistance provided directly by the EU's 28 Member States own programmes, makes the European Union the leading player in the transformation of developing countries.

Beyond economics, the European Union and Kenya are natural allies on key international issues such as migration, climate action, security and democracy. Over the past 12 months our relationship has bloomed into a full-blown partnership based on shared values and common interests. Together we are confronting emerging threats and are seeking to make the world a safer and better place for both present and future generations.

Mr Dejak is the European Union Ambassador to Kenya

See the rest here:
European Union: Full-blown partnership with Kenya - The Standard (press release)