Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Kenyan President William Ruto agreed Wednesday to strengthen their countries' cooperation in areas related to decarbonization, infrastructure development and bolstering economic ties.
Meeting in Kenya's capital Nairobi, the two leaders condemned Russia for its invasion of Ukraine while affirming the importance of the rule of law. They also agreed on promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific, Japan's Foreign Ministry said.
Japan will continue to cooperate with Kenya by providing infrastructure development assistance for the East African nation's port of Mombasa, Kishida told a press conference after the meeting.
The two leaders shared the view that enabling fair and transparent financial development is important for alleviating Kenya's debt problems, according to the Japanese ministry.
The move comes amid concerns about China having created "debt traps" for several African countries by providing them with large loans that have become difficult to repay, consequently allowing Beijing greater leverage over their political affairs.
Wednesday's visit to Kenya was the first by a Japanese prime minister since August 2016. Kishida's trip to Kenya is part of his four-leg African tour.
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