Ali Asadi made the remarks in a meeting with Kenya’s ambassador in Tehran, Joshua Igweta Gatimo, on Saturday, IRNA reported.

“We are trying to develop technological cooperation with Kenya,” Asadi said.

Highlighting the capacities and capabilities of the two countries, Gatimo for his part, expressed hope that these capacities will be shared with Kenya, especially technological collaboration. IASP 2024 will provide a chance for Iran to visit knowledge-based companies in Kenya.

“Kenya welcomes Iranian knowledge-based companies’ technology and knowledge to be shared with its start-up companies,” he added.

He went on to say that effective measures will be taken for the development of scientific cooperation between the two countries.

IASP

IASP is a worldwide membership-based organization, an independent non-profit NGO managed by experts in science and technology parks and areas of innovation.

It is the leading association of innovation ecosystems worldwide. Its mission is to be the global network for science parks innovation districts and other areas of innovation, driving growth, internationalization, and effectiveness for its members.

IASP coordinates an active network of managers of areas of innovation, science parks, research parks, innovation districts, knowledge cities, and other innovation spaces.

It enhances new business opportunities for members and their companies, increases their visibility, and multiplies their global connections. It also represents parks and areas of innovation at international forums and institutions.

As the 41st IASP World Conference returns to Africa for the first time since 2008, the main theme will be “Demographics, entrepreneurship, and technology: defining the frontiers of future economies”.

The theme has particular significance as it explores the role to be played by science parks and areas of innovation, not only in empowering regions such as Africa and Asia to harness the potential of their burgeoning youth demographic, entrepreneurship, and technology for economic growth but also in addressing the challenges posed by a global population that is steadily aging.

In this context, the theme calls upon participants to reflect on critical components of collaboration across the world to ensure that there is a sufficient talent pool, innovation, and technology base, to sustain the global economy.

Iran to transfer technology to Africa

In July 2023, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, who accompanied President Ebrahim Raisi on his trip to Africa, spoke about Iran’s perspective on the continent and the potential for collaboration with African nations.

“Iran’s view on Africa is quite different from that of neo-colonialism or its older version,” Amir-Abdollahian told Press TV in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe.

“We aim to empower Africa through technology transfer,” he said.

The foreign minister continued his remarks by elaborating on two key points of convergence between Iran and African countries.

African people and their leaders are now quite sensitive to protecting their independence and this is among the commonalities between Iran and African nations, Amir-Abdollahian underlined.

“Another issue of equal importance for Iran and Africa is the U.S. sanctions regime. With Africa’s assistance, we should prevent the U.S. and certain states that still have a colonial mindset from utilizing the deadly tool of sanctions against nations,” Iran’s top diplomat pointed out.

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Gholampour, in the meeting, presented his credentials to Kenyan President William Samui Ruto.

In the meeting, while welcoming the newly appointed ambassador of Iran to Kenya, Samui Ruto called for the expansion and strengthening of relations between the two states in various fields.

The Kenyan president also emphasized the implementation of agreements made during the trip of the Iranian president to Kenya.

While conveying the warm and sincere greetings of President Raisi to his Kenyan counterpart, Gholampour expressed hope for further development and expansion of bilateral relations, as well as the strengthening of political, economic, and cultural cooperation.

He had already submitted a copy of his credentials in a meeting with an official of the Kenyan government.

In that meeting, Gholampour also expressed hope that with the will of the two states, the relations between the two friendly countries will expand.

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Kenyan Envoy Mr. Jashua Gatimu in meeting with Head of Shiraz Chamber of Commerce in Shiraz, Fars Province, called for boosting economic cooperation between the two countries.

In the meeting, Gatimu pointed to good cooperation of Shiraz citizens with Kenyans which dates back to long time ago and there has always been good cooperation between the two sides through the years. He added that till now the relation between Iran and Kenya has been very good and he is happy that Kenya will celebrate 50th anniversary of diplomatic relation with Iran.

He termed important the exchanges in Shiraz and said that the importance is because Kenya had consulate general in Shiraz in the past but this cooperation was cut and now Kenya is working to launch its consulate general in Shiraz which shows the importance of this city for Kenya.

Gatimu then pointed t opportunities and capacities of Kenya and Shiraz, and said that the only country in Africa which houses Iran’s Center for Technology and Innovation is Kenya and this center is almost permanent exhibition and traders can put on display their products in this place and many commercial exchanges are done here and it has been a very good opportunity for Iran and Kenya.

He went on to say that currently 20 Iranian companies are active in this center and Kenya seeks to increase the number because it is useful for trade relation of both states. He then pointed to the important role of Nairobi for progress in trade exchanges between the two states, adding that Iranian ambassador in Nairobi is working hard for the launch of a permanent exhibition in Nairobi for offering construction materials coming from Iran, and Iranian companies can offer their products and exchange with Kenya.

He said that since Kenya is the big gateway to enter East Africa, he recommended Iranians to produce their products in Kenya and sell and export them because it will cost cheaper.

On agriculture and food security, Gatimu said that Kenya is a rich country in terms of land and water and Iran can be active in this field due to having technology. He also said that Iranians can build cheap price houses in Kenya because construction market is one of the good markets in his country and Kenya welcomes investment in this regard.

He then pointed to the launch of direct flights between Tehran and Nairobi and said that with the launch of direct flight, the distance will shorten and time of flight will reduce by four hours and it can reinforce and broaden trade between the two states.

Meanwhile Head of Shiraz Chamber of Commerce Mr. Jamal Razzaqi, for his part, pointed to the good relation of Fars Province with African states like Kenya and said that broadening economic ties of Fars Province and Africa can be a new chapter in economic development of Fars Province.

He then pointed to the capacities and potentials of Fars Province and said that the province has good capacities in fields of agriculture, tourism and medical sector and it can broaden its relation with other countries based on those capacities. He then pointed to the historic and cultural capacities of the province.

Razzaqi added that Fars with annual production of 14m tons of agro products plays an important role for meeting the needs of the country and exports to other countries and Fars Province is eager to broaden its trade ties in those fields.

He stated that Iran is one of the importing banana countries and Kenya can be a suitable destination for exchange of banana with better prices.

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In the meeting, Head of International Affairs of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mine and Agriculture (ICCIMA) Mohammad Reza Karbasi termed Kenya as one of the developing countries in East Africa which enjoys a good geopolitical position and favorable climate. He added that Kenya is considered as one of the most industrial countries of East Africa and one of the influential members of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

He went on to say that Kenya with having the most important and strategic Mombasa Port and its good infrastructures can easily provide marine transportation in the East Africa for the economic activists. Karbasi emphasized that due to the existing potentials and capacities in Kenya in different fields like extraterrestrial cultivation, food and agro conversion industries as well as livestock and meat, there are huge opportunities for economic cooperation between Tehran and Nairobi.

He then pointed to the current trade volume of the two countries, and added that despite such grounds for cooperation, we have seen inconsiderable trade volume between the two countries in the past years, noting that the trade between Iran and Kenya in 2020 hit just over $60m. He reiterated that because of the potentials of the two countries, their trade volume can easily reach $500m in the next one year.

Karbasi said that Iran can meet the demands of Kenya in oil, bitumen, petrochemicals, machineries and motor equipment, medicines and foodstuff and Kenya also have some good grounds for trade with Iran like in the field of coffee, tea, tropical fruits, grains and agro products. He further said that if the required grounds are provided for economic activists of the two states, the trade volume of the two countries would definitely reach $500m in the shortest time.

He claimed due to the good potentials of the two countries, it is forecasted that their trade volume can reach $6b but its materialization needs a long-term approach by the officials of the two countries as well as preparing the required grounds for the economic activists of Iran and Kenya.

He said one of the most important axes for bilateral cooperation is the cooperation between the provinces of the two countries and in this line since two years ago the Iran-Keya Joint Chamber and the Qazvin Chamber of Commerce have been tasked to pursue the affairs related to the trade between Iran and Kenya.

Karbasi also pointed to some problems in way of bilateral trade and said that using the capacities of the local banks and especially small banks in money exchanges between the two countries is one of the priorities. He said one of the problems is the banking brokerages regarding the money transfer which has caused the two countries to fail in expanding their economic cooperation.

He then termed barter trade as a tool for skirting the current financial problems between the two states. He then pointed to some fields like solar energies, technical and engineering services for bilateral cooperation. He then announced the readiness of the ICCIMA for any coordination and long-term economic cooperation between the two countries.

Then the governor of Bomet County of Kenya and head of the visiting Kenyan trade delegation Mr. Hillary Barchok, for his part, pointed to the good progresses in the ties of Iran and Kenya and said the last meeting of the trade delegations of the two countries happened last November. He said fortunately Iran has imported tea from Kenya considerably since then and the visiting delegation is to start a joint investment in the field of tea in Lahijan, Gilan Province.

He added that Kenya is after creating facilities for Iranian traders, adding that his country is facing some challenges in this regard like the U.S. sanctions but these restrictions will not cause Kenya to stop working and it wants to increase its trade with Iran in any condition.

Barchok expressed hope Kenya can receive services from Iran in the field of medical education, medical equipment and medicines. He then invited Iranian trade delegations for visiting Kenya and said that losing time means losing money and capital, adding that Kenya is determined to expand its economic relations with Iran and it believes it should not waste the time.

Then Karbasi said that it is expected the direct cargo flights between Iran and Kenya to be launched by the end of 2021, and said Iran is determined to expand its ties with Kenya and the launch of the first joint investment in the field of tea and its packing is a good news regarding the strong determination of the two countries for developing bilateral cooperation.

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Addressing the webinar, Head of International Affairs of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mine and Agriculture (ICCIMA) Mr. Mohammad Reza Karbasi first pointed to the economic capacities of Kenya and added that Kenya is developing country in East Africa and the country is mainly dependent on agriculture, minerals and aquatic animals. He added that Kenya enjoys a special position in East Africa which provides Iran’s access to its neighboring countries like Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda and Kenya’s capacity for cooperation with its neighboring states is high.

Karbasi reiterated that ICCIMA has special view on trade with African states and it wants to use all capacities of economic activists, Iranian ambassadors in African countries as well as the Foreign Ministry to broaden presence in the African countries.

He stated there is good capacity for bilateral cooperation in the oil derivatives and bitumen, adding that if Iran wants to expand its trade with Kenya’s neighbors it can enter those markets through Mombasa Port and the export volume to that region via Kenya will increase. He also pointed to motor equipment, machineries and ago equipment, medicines and medical equipment, petrochemical and food stuff are the other fields for bilateral cooperation.

Karbasi reiterated major consuming products in Kenya are imported and Iran needs Kenyans to ease the process for Iranians to register its produced medicines in Kenya and its exports to Kenya’s neighboring states as well as to meet Kenya’s needs.

On imports from Kenya, he said Kenya can also provide Iran with feedstock, adding that of course this country can also provide Iran with cacao, grain and tropical fruits.

He added that despite huge capacities for cooperation between Iran and Kenya, their trade volume is unacceptable and the trade balance between the two countries was just $60m last year.

Karbasi then pointed to the obstacles in way of boosting trade between Iran and Kenya and said lack of banking relation is one of the main problems of Kenyan traders for trade with Iran which should be resolved and the launch of trade barter mechanism can be a solution which can help the trade between Iran and Kenya to increase.

He also reiterated that signing trade tariff agreement between Tehran and Nairobi is necessary for developing trade relations. He also pointed to the direct flight between Tehran and Nairobi and said despite the existing capacities, no direct flight between Iran and African states has been launched and the ground for its launch should be prepared for using all capacities of African markets.

Then Iran’s Ambassador to Kenya Mr. Jaafar Barmaki, for his part, briefed the participants in the webinar on the economic opportunities in Kenya and said Kenya is the only country among the six East African states which has access to the free water which helps other countries to have access to the free waters via this country.

He stated that talks for the launch of direct cargo flight between the two countries have begun and it is expected to be launched by the end of 2021.

Barmaki reiterated that for having a strong trade, one should both focus on imports and exports because trade is a reciprocal issue and Iran should not just focus on exports and in case it disregard imports, it may very soon lose its position in the market of Kenya.

Then Karbasi said the news of the launch of direct cargo flight between the two states is good news for Iranian traders and expressed hope soon the direct passenger flight between the two states would be launched.

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According to the public relations of the ICCIMA, the webinar will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday virtually.

The webinar is aimed at reviewing opportunities and trade capacities of the two countries. Iran’s ambassador to Kenya as well as dome heads of chambers of commerce of provinces and heads of ICCIMA commissions are to participate in the webinar

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The meeting was attended by ICCIMA Deputy Head for International Affair Mohammadreza Karbasi, and Caroline Gichuki, the founder and CEO of a renowned Kenyan agricultural company called Techfarm Travel Ltd.

Speaking in the meeting the two sides pointed to barter trade, using the capacities of the local banks, overseas agriculture, and participation in joint exhibitions as ways for expanding the level of trade between the two countries.

Expressing satisfaction with the holding of such meetings as a way of paving the way for enhancing the level of cooperation between the two sides, Karbasian said: “Kenya is one of the most important economies in East Africa, and plays an important role in the region’s agriculture, fishing and fishery industries.”

“The economies of Iran and Kenya are complementary. Agriculture is Kenya’s most important economic sector, and its major tea and coffee products are known around the world,” he said, adding: “Overseas agriculture, the establishment of conversion industries and joint activities in the livestock and meat sector, are good investment opportunities for Iranian businessmen in this country.”

The official expressed the Iranian private sector’s interest in investment in Kenya and noted that despite this willingness, the lack of infrastructures like banking relations and a direct flight line between the two countries is a major challenge in the way of the expansion of trade between the two countries.

Karbasian put the two countries’ trade in 2020 at $57 million, noting that Iran exported $50 million worth of goods to Kenya while importing $7 million from the country in the mentioned year.

According to the official, Iran can meet Kenya’s needs in the fields of oil derivatives and bitumen, petrochemical products, health tourism, medicine, and food; Kenya, on the other hand, can meet the needs of the Iranian market in the field of cocoa, coffee, tea, grains, as well as food and livestock products.

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IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK

TEHRAN – A group of economic activists from Bomet County of Kenya, led by Bomet Governor Ms. Hillary Barchok, during a visit to Tehran met their Iranian counterparts and called for cooperation and joint investment in fields of water, agriculture, production of renewable energies and urban management.

The Kenyan group attended Iran Chamber of Commerce and met their Iranian counterparts and explored ways for developing ties. Kenya is one of the major tea-producing countries in the world and it is pursuing foreign investment and starting the joint regional activities for developing its cooperation with Iran.

During the meeting of Kenyan and Iranian business activists, Iran’s Ambassador to Kenya Mr. Jafar Barmaki pointed to the capacities and potentials in Kenya, adding that the ground for joint cooperation between Iran and Kenya is favorable and announced the launch of innovation center in Kenya in cooperation with Iran’s Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology.

He added he believes this center can take good step in direct and constant contact with the export acceleration center for improving the level of the trade exchange and investment.

Ms. Barchok, for his part, pointed to the appropriate grounds for cooperation between both states. She then said that she believes Kenya with having suitable land for agriculture can be a good destination for investors in this filed, adding that almost 80 percent of those lands in Kenya are arable and currently 60 percent of Kenya’s tea is produced in Bomet County.

She further said that Kenya is ready to learn and offering new ideas for reinforcing relations between both states, and expressed his satisfaction over considerable opportunities for cooperation between Iran and Kenya.

Barchok went on to say that Kenya’s economy is dependent on agriculture and it is striving to increase its profits in this sector, reiterating that Kenya is after elimination of middlemen, and after direct sales of its agro products.

The governor of Bomet also pointed to the challenges of Kenya in the fields of water and energy, expensive price of electricity and lack of appropriate storage system for keeping its agro products.

She added that Kenya hopes that it can restore good cooperation with its Iranian party for solving its problems, noting that Kenya due to its huge capacity for livestock needs processing system for milk especially for producing butter.

She also pointed to the transfer of medical technology, methods of irrigation of arable lands in large scale, new patterns of urban management, constructing plants for producing renewable energies, processing different kinds of garden products like avocado and mango as the good grounds for joint cooperation between Iran and Kenya.

Meanwhile Ali Chagharvand, a member of policy-making council of Iran’s export acceleration center, for his part, talked about concentration on cooperating in the fields of industry, trade and agriculture, adding that this center is a new idea which has been set up in cooperation with Iran Chamber of Commerce and it helps private and government sectors to work together for easing business and boom in exports.

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IRAN NEWS ECONOMIC DESK

TEHRAN – Kenyan Ambassador to Tehran Benedict Lukorito Watamba paid a visit to the pavilion of Esfahan Steel Company (ESCO) in the 9th International Exhibition on Investment Opportunities in Iran’s Mines and Mines Industries which was held in Isfahan and during his visit called for cooperation with ESCO.

In the meeting with some ESCO officials, Watamba termed Iran an industrial and developed state, adding that due to the industrial capabilities of the Islamic Republic of Iran and rich mines in Kenya, both countries can increase their cooperation.

The diplomat added that Kenya is rich in having iron ore mines and expressed hope that Kenya would take advantage of Iran’s experience for construction of steel and mine extraction plants.

He also pointed to the good relation between Iran and African states and emphasized that African states especially Kenya have good relations with Iran.

On the steel products of Iran, he said according to information he has obtained, steel products of Iranian plants especially ESCO are high quality ones and expressed hope that these products would be used in construction industries, dam building and other industries of Kenya.

Meanwhile deputy head of the public relations of ESCO Mr. Majid Moradian, for his part, highlighted the process of production and quality of the products in ESCO and said ESCO, as the first long steel structure producing company in the West Asia, exports its products to five continents in the world.

He then pointed to the production of rails in ESCO and said the rails produced in the company are based on the international standards and they compete with their European rivals.

He then referred to the capabilities of experts of steel industry in Iran for investment and cooperation in the iron ore sector and construction of steel industries in Kenya. He then stipulated that he would convey Kenyan ambassador’s request to the senior officials of ESCO.

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The internal police report seen by AP says the three “terrorist suspects” were arrested Sunday after trying to enter the British Army Training camp in Laikipia county in Kenya. It occurred around the same time as the al-Shabab assault on the base in Lamu County.

The British government was not immediately available for comment.

Al-Shabab’s assault at the Manda Bay Airfield lasted several hours and destroyed several US aircraft and vehicles. The airfield is adjacent to Camp Simba, a key Kenyan military base used by US counterterror forces.

No Kenyans died in the attack, Kenya’s military spokesman Paul Njuguna said Monday.

Al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaida, has vowed retribution on Kenya for its troop presence in Somalia to counter the extremist group.

Earlier, Kenyan Defense Forces (KDF) said in a statement that “at around 5:30am an attempt was made to breach security at Manda Air Strip.

“The attempted breach was successfully repulsed. Four terrorists’ bodies have so far been found. The airstrip is safe,” the statement added.

The US military command for Africa, AFRICOM, confirmed there had been an attack in a brief statement.

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