The State Department of Foreign Affairs today held bilateral consultations with the Head of the Department of Multilateral Policy and Development Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia, H.E. Amb. Davit Knyazyan, reaffirming the strong and growing partnership between Kenya and Armenia.
The meeting at the Ministry Headquarters in Nairobi, led by Director General, Political and Diplomatic Affairs, Amb. Josphat Maikara, reviewed progress made since the inaugural Kenya–Armenia Political Consultations held in Yerevan in February 2026, which culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a formal mechanism for political consultations between the two countries. Both sides welcomed the steady implementation of agreed outcomes aimed at expanding cooperation across priority sectors.
Discussions focused on strengthening collaboration in trade and investment, agriculture, energy, Information and Communication Technology, higher education, health, tourism, medical research, diaspora affairs and capacity building.
Importantly, Kenya acknowledged Armenia’s continued support and in particular professional training programmes offered by the Diplomatic School of Armenia where Kenyan diplomats participated, hence enhancing Kenya’s diplomatic capacity in multilateral affairs, peace-building and regional security.
Further, both delegations exchanged views on regional and international developments and reaffirmed their commitment to working together in international organizations, including the United Nations and the Non-Aligned Movement, in advancing peace, sustainable development, biodiversity conservation and the rules-based multilateral system.
A key area of discussion was the upcoming 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17), which Armenia will host in Yerevan from 19 – 30 October 2026 under the theme ‘Taking Action for Nature’.
The meeting underscored the importance of COP17 in accelerating implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, mobilising biodiversity finance, advancing ecosystem restoration and strengthening international cooperation to address biodiversity loss.
To this regard, Kenya welcomed the opportunity to participate in the Leaders’ Summit on Biodiversity scheduled for 16 October 2026, where H.E. President William Samoei Ruto is expected to join other world leaders in advancing global commitments on biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.
Notably, the Kenyan side sought Armenia’s support for the candidature of Judge Phoebe Okowa for election to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the 2027–2036 term, with elections scheduled during the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly and the United Nations Security Council in November 2026.
In addition, Kenya requested Armenia’s support for the candidature of Hon. Lady Justice Njoki Ndungu for election as a Judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the 2027–2036 term, whose election is scheduled to be held in New York, USA in December 2026.
In general, the consultations reaffirmed the shared commitment of Kenya and Armenia to further deepen bilateral relations, expand economic cooperation, strengthen people-to-people ties and continue collaborating on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
By Michael Omondi
