President William Ruto has arrived in Seoul, South Korea where he is set to attend the Korea-Africa summit.
The President arrived in the Asian country’s capital on Monday afternoon.
An update shared on the State House’s official social media pages indicates that Ruto was accompanied by among others First Lady Mama Rachael Ruto.
The Head of State left the country on Sunday night for the visit.
“Presiden@WilliamsRuto has arrived in Seoul, South Korea, for the Korea-Africa Summit, which will kick off on Tuesday,” the State House said.
‘The summit aims to build strong relations between South Korea and Africa, leveraging each other’s strengths to foster mutual growth, tackle global challenges, and reinforce solidarity for peace and security,” it added.
On his arrival, Ruto and his delegation were received by Ambassador Kang Seok-hee, former Korean Ambassador to Seychelles and currently the State Representative for Reconstruction Efforts in Ukraine.
Kenyan Ambassador to South Korea Prof. Emmy Kipsoi was present.
During his visit to South Korea, the President is also expected to hold bilateral talks with President Yoon Suk Yeol
The talks, the state House said, are aimed at escalating areas of cooperation.
The President also shared photos of his arrival on his social media pages.
He said the Korea-Africa Summit presents Kenya with an opportunity to forge strong ties with the Asian giant, “leveraging our combined strengths to promote mutual growth, address global challenges, and enhance solidarity for peace and security.”
The 2024 South Korea–Africa Summit is the inaugural summit hosted by the government of South Korea with 48 African countries.
The purpose of the meeting is to identify potential projects regarding Africa and find ways to promote them at home and abroad.
A statement issued by the State House on the President’s visit indicated that Kenya would engage South Korea in exploring technology opportunities, including developing its semiconductor industry.
“Additionally, Kenya will join the International Vaccine Institute (IVI) to advance its vaccine manufacturing goals,” read part of the statement issued by State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohammed.