"The Islamic Republic of Iran, given Kenya’s importance as a gate to East Africa and given its political and economic stability (hosting the UN third headquarters and being biggest economy in the region), is holding its exhibition in Kenya from February 3-6 in a bid to expand non-oil exports and expand commercial and economic ties between the two countries,” Iranian embassy in Kenya said in a statement posted on its website.The exhibition would host 100 Iranian companies working in construction, cceramic, tiles, valves and fittings, sanitary, electrical industry, chandeliers, communications and information technology, oil, gas, petrochmistry, nano-tech, new energies, aerospace, drugs, medicines and medical equipment.
Iranian Ambassador to Kenya Hadi Farajvand has already met with Cabinet Secretary of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives of Kenyan Government Adan Mohamed during which they discussed bilateral cooperation in commercial exchanges and banking, and expressed their readiness to boost mutual cooperation.
Last July, Iranian Economy Minister Ali Tayyebnia and his Kenyan counterpart Henry Rotich in a meeting in Nairobi underlined the need for the expansion of mutual cooperation, specially in the field of trade.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 14th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Nairobi, Kenya.
During the meeting, Tayyebnia and Rotich explored avenues for bolstering and reinvigorating bilateral ties.
The Iranian economy minister pointed to the status quo of Iran-Kenya relations, and said, "There is still plenty of room for the two countries to enhance their mutual cooperation."
Tayyebnia said that there are good potentials for cooperation between Iran and Kenya in fields of agriculture, energy, oil, gas as well as construction of dam, power plants and refineries.
The Kenyan economy minister, for his part, welcomed promotion of cooperation between Nairobi and Tehran.
Tayyebnia arrived in Nairobi to attend the 14th meeting of the UNCTAD.
Ministers and senior officials from 194 countries attended the conference.
In August 2014, Iran and Kenya signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the promotion of ties in various economic, scientific and technological domains.
The Iranian Agricultural Jihad Minister Mahmoud Hojjati and Kenyan International Trade Minister Amina Mohammad, who had participated in the Sixth Joint Economic Commission of Iran and Kenya in Tehran, signed the MoU based on which the two sides are obliged to do their best to pave the ground for widening and deepening of mutual cooperation in all arenas.
Tehran has prioritized promotion of its economic and political ties with the African states and the country is now considered as one of the African Union's strategic partners.
Tehran's efforts to boost ties and cooperation with Africa have led to its acceptance as an observing member of the African Union (AU), where it has shown an active presence in the AU summit meetings.
