President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with a delegation led by the President of the Republic of Kenya, William Samoei Ruto, on May 17.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that President William Samoei Ruto, noting his first visit to Azerbaijan, expressed his gratitude to the head of state for the invitation to the 13th World Urban Forum (WUF13).
William Samoei Ruto highlighted that the World Urban Forum was first held in Kenya and emphasized that his country also hosts the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). The guest noted that large-scale housing and settlement projects are currently being implemented in Kenya. Expressing satisfaction with the dynamic development of bilateral relations, William Samoei Ruto invited President Ilham Aliyev to pay an official visit to Kenya. The head of state accepted the invitation with pleasure and, in turn, invited the Kenyan President to pay an official visit to Azerbaijan.
The Kenyan President also extended his congratulations to President Ilham Aliyev for the leadership demonstrated in advancing the peace agenda between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Expressing his gratitude for the congratulations, President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that Azerbaijan continues its efforts toward further strengthening the peace agenda and establishing lasting peace in the region.
During the meeting, the sides noted the existence of great prospects for developing cooperation between Azerbaijan and Kenya in energy, defense industry, agriculture, and other fields. They highlighted the positive role of recent reciprocal visits at various levels in the development of bilateral ties.
The World Urban Forum (WUF), established by the United Nations, is the premier global conference on sustainable urbanization. Azerbaijan's hosting of such international events underscores its growing role as a hub for global diplomatic and developmental dialogue. Relations between Azerbaijan and African nations have seen a steady increase in recent years, particularly through cooperation within the Non-Aligned Movement and various international organizations, reflecting Baku's multi-vector foreign policy and commitment to South-South cooperation.
