Celebrating a 30-year bilateral diplomatic relationship, the Czech Republic and the Republic of Kenya embarked on a promising era of corporate diplomacy, solidifying their commitment through the establishment of a business hub in Kenya. Positioned as a gateway, the hub is expected to catalyze opportunities for foreign trade and corporate collaboration to increase revenue flow within Kenya, the Czech Republic and the European Union. The business hub is expected to expose the Kenyan and East African markets to the European markets as well as attract European investors to the country.

On the week of November 6^th, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala paid a state visit to Kenya. The visit was focused on building bilateral economic and trade relationships. The visit kicked off with a Czech-Kenya Business Forum that was attended by 24 Czech firms and 70 Kenyan companies to build corporate interactions and relationships.

The purpose of the visit was to strengthen relations between the two countries by streamlining immigration processes and creating unimpeded access for Czech entities to invest in Kenya. Further, it is not clear if this means the nullification of visa requirements, however, it showcases that President Ruto plans to engage the private sector in this bilateral relationship. The diplomatic objective aims to boost investment and cash flow into the state while also creating employment opportunities both locally and in the Czech Republic.

PM Fiala expressed his enthusiasm for building partnerships with the Ministry of Defense. This came shortly after his meeting with Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale where the possibilities to deepen cooperation between the two countries to further build on the defence sector.

The Prime Minister commended Kenya’s role in peace and security building in Africa and further mentioned the plans discussed during his visit to:

• Support Kenya’s energy sector and promote green/renewable energy.
• Engage and aid advance with the healthcare sector and technology.
•  Conserve biodiversity, especially the conservation of the Northern White Rhino.
• Continue collaboration in pursuing climate action change and sustainable development goals.
• Partner in information and technology as well as space exploration adventures.
• Avail scholarship opportunities for students to study in the Czech Republic.
• Expand the export of Kenya’s premium products to the Czech Republic.

The President stated that the bilateral state meeting was a result of the European Union Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) despite pending ratification from other East African Community (EAC) member states. Some of these benefits that Kenya will enjoy are duty-free as well as quota-free access to the European Union starting from the 17^th of December 2023 among others.

The establishment of the hub, however, does come with concerns considering the International Monetary Fund’s publication considering Europe inflation. The IMF “expects inflation to remain stubborn in many European countries, delaying the achievement of inflation targets.”- IMFNews. Multiple European states struggle to recover from the crippling energy price shock caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Europe needs to overcome multiple obstacles to economic dynamism and infrastructural upgrades to strengthen business-friendly conditions and investment. Cooperation at the European level and international investors stands as a crucial pillar for their recovery. This can position Europe as a leader in the climate transition and support stability across the European continent.