Minister says trade deals with Iran within law

Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed. She said powerful countries in the world were doing business with Iran and wondered why Kenya should be barred. PHOTO | BILLY MUTAI |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

In Summary

• She asked Kenyans to tap available job opportunities in Saudi Arabia and Qatar,  adding that more than 200 visa are processed every day  for Kenyans seeking jobs in Saudi Arabia.
• She also disclosed that two East African countries had yet to agree on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) before the region could take a common position on it.

By NATION REPORTER
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Kenya will continue doing business with Iran despite the Middle East country facing sanctions from the UN, Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed said on Thursday.

Briefing journalists in Nairobi on her recent tour of the US and Iran, Ms Mohamed said Kenya needed Iran’s market for its agriculture goods. UN sanctions against Iran did not affect the agricultural sector, she added.

“We sell about 20 per cent of our tea to Iran and we will continue to engage on a higher scale. There is a lot of potential. We have also invited the country’s agriculture and foreign affairs officials to visit Kenya,” said Ms Mohamed.

Powerful countries in the world, she added, were doing business with Iran and wondered why Kenya should be stopped.

The minister said she would continue to engage both the East and the West in efforts to woo investments.

“We are exploring opportunities in Japan, Korea and China, which have big markets for our products. We are not running away from our other friends such as the US,” said the Cabinet Secretary.

She announced that next month, she would be in Spain to woo investors and tourists, reiterating that all the initiatives were aimed at marketing Kenya as an investment hub.

COMMON POSITION

She also disclosed that two East African countries had yet to agree on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) before the region could take a common position on it.

But Ms Mohamed expressed confidence that the issues would be solved by next month, saying that the region was waiting for the European Union to decide what to be tabled.

The delayed conclusion of an EPA stalled following disagreements touching on economic and development co-operation, rules of origin, export taxes and the ‘most-favoured nation’ clause. These sticking points are contested by the EAC, which is negotiating a common position for the region.

The minister asked Kenyans to exploit job opportunities in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. More than 200 visas, she added, were processed every day  for Kenyans to work in Saudi Arabia. However, she cautioned Kenyans against going to foreign countries without notifying the ministry.