Kenya’s bid for UN Security Council seat takes shape
Mozambique will support Kenya’s bid for a seat at the world top security organ, the UN security council after joint talks were held on Wednesday.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma, said it was part of the JCC deal signed ahead of the visit of President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi.
“Mozambique has agreed to support Kenya’s bid for a non-permanent member status of the UN Security Council,” Amb Juma said.
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Kenya wants to sit at the Security Council for two years ending 2022, the elections are to be held during the 74th session of the UN in 2020.
Uganda, Burundi, South Sudan, Tanzania and Rwanda also pledged to support Kenya’s bid after Namibia also declared its support for Kenya’s bid when President Hage Geingob met Uhuru Kenyatta at State House Nairobi.
In order to deepen, strengthen and enhance bilateral relations, plans are underway to open the Kenya Consulate in Maputo which could further be elevated to an Embassy.
CS Juma noted that the bilateral deal comes just days ahead of the Blue Economy conference next week adding the need to back each other when drafting multilateral deals.
“Kenya and Mozambique share a vast Indian Ocean coastline that can be exploited for its vast marine resources that could transform our economies in a sustainable manner,” CS Juma said
Kenya has also inked a deal with Mozambique to scrap visa on arrival for diplomats and local nationals and will have the next few months to draft a double tax agreement.
“We agreed to allow free movement of people under a Visa agreement to facilitate trade and tourism and private sector investment,” CS Juma said.
This would be good news especially since just in November this year, a visa hitch saw one of Kenya’s representative at the Fiba Africa club championships, held at the Maputo airport.
Although the matter was addressed after talks between Mozambique Basketball Federation and immigration, Kenya Ports Authority KPA women basketball team, were momentarily detained at Maputo International Airport for close to three hours.
Cooperation between the two countries has so far registered progress in the Air Transport Sector where the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) was established in 2012 leading to direct flights between Kenya and Mozambique.
Last year, Kenya took the extraordinary step of recognizing the Makonde as the 43rd tribe of Kenya. Yet we know that the Makonde people originated from Mozambique about 80 years ago.
