WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th July, 2020) The United States and Kenya began the first round of formal negotiations to conclude a free-trade agreement that can serve as a template for similar agreements throughout Africa, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a press release on Wednesday.
"We look forward to negotiating and concluding a comprehensive, high-standard agreement with Kenya that can serve as a model for additional agreements across Africa," Lighthizer said.
Kenya Cabinet Secretary for Industrialization, Trade and Enterprise Development Betty Maina said in the release that concluding a trade agreement would not only increase Kenyan exports to the United States, but also promote US Foreign Direct Investment into Kenya.
The trade talks come after President Donald Trump and Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta reached an agreement in 2018 to form a strategic partnership and establish a Trade and Investment Working Group.
Because of the novel coronavirus pandemic, the US-Kenya negotiations are being held virtually and are expected to continue for the next two weeks, the release noted.
