The signing ceremony. Photo: Knesset.

Israel and Kenya signed an agreement Wednesday, pledging to strengthen ties and increase cooperation between the two countries. Representatives from Kenya’s National Assembly met with their counterparts in the Knesset to sign the agreement in Israel.

The agreement stated that Israel and Kenya’s “shared belief in the values of freedom, democracy and tolerance, as well as the diplomatic, cultural and economic ties uniting their two countries, create fertile ground for the formal launching of initiatives promoting co-operation between the two Parliaments, and a strengthening of ties between the two peoples and two countries.”

“I thank the Speaker of the Knesset for his hospitality and I believe that we will succeed in creating true cooperation between the two parliaments. I very much hope for this. Already today, in the Knesset, we will discuss cooperation as this very successful visit to Israel continues,” said Speaker of the Kenyan Parliament, Justin Muturi, at the signing ceremony.

Speaker of the Knesset Yuli Edelstein said, “I welcome the guests in their visit to the Knesset and I very much hope for a continuation in the cooperation as expressed in the agreement that we signed, both with the help of the Members of Knesset who were involved and with the help of the Director General of the Knesset and his professional staff. On a different matter, it is important to mention the complex efforts of Kenya in dealing with terror threats and the threats of extremist organizations. I have great admiration for Kenya on this matter.”

The Knesset press release explained that the agreement will: promote meetings between the committees of the two parliaments; promote “green” issues and issues related to computerization, security, and information; define joint initiatives; and encourage ongoing cooperation between officials with the goal of promoting mutual knowledge regarding parliamentary administration and, in particular, legislation and documentation.