LUANDA, Angola — President William Ruto has held bilateral talks with Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo on the sidelines of the 7th African Union–European Union Summit, with the two leaders agreeing to deepen cooperation across key economic and social sectors.
According to President Ruto, the meeting centred on expanding partnerships in trade and investment, agribusiness, renewable energy, health, education, and digital infrastructure — areas that both governments consider pivotal for long-term development.
“Our discussions focused on strengthening our cooperation in areas of mutual interest such as trade and investment, agribusiness, renewable energy, health, education, and digital infrastructure,” Ruto said in a statement.
The talks come at a time when Nairobi is repositioning itself as a regional hub for technology, green energy, and manufacturing, while Finland continues to grow its investments in Africa, particularly through private-sector collaborations and education-based initiatives.
Ruto noted that Kenya and Finland are now exploring new avenues of cooperation in healthcare, with an emphasis on strengthening the country’s health system and reinforcing primary healthcare delivery. The renewed engagement aligns with Kenya’s ongoing universal health coverage reforms under the Social Health Authority (SHA), which have drawn global attention in recent months.
Finland has previously supported Kenya in vocational training, digital innovation, and health workforce development, and officials from both sides are expected to refine the new cooperation framework in the coming months.
The two leaders met as part of a series of bilateral engagements held on the margins of the AU-EU Summit, where African and European heads of state are discussing economic partnership, climate action, security cooperation, and migration.
