Speech by Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul at the German Embassy in Nairobi

Ladies and gentlemen, good evening and a special welcome to the representatives of the United Nations. Because in my eyes the world has a peace organization. We do not need another one. We have the United Nations.

In Germany, there is one day every autumn when thousands of Kenyan flags wave in the streets of Berlin. Berlin Marathon Day. It takes place every year at the end of September. Around 45,000 runners from some 150 nations take part annually. This makes the Berlin Marathon one of the largest and most international road races in the world.

And yet it is Kenya that has shaped this day in a very special way for many years now. No other nation has claimed as many victories. Won as many medals. Or set as many records. Just last year, there was a Kenyan double victory in the German capital: Rosemary Wanjiru won the women's race and Sabastian Sawe won the men's! Congratulations once again. It is the Kenyan nation that has given the Berlin Marathon its reputation as the "fastest marathon in the world."

Ladies and gentlemen, I have been told that there is a well-known proverb here in Kenya: "Haraka, haraka, ha-i-na baraka." Freely translated: Good things take time. As a marathon would take for most of us I assume. But sometimes, one also has to act very quickly - for example, in politics. When Kenya declared its independence in 1963, Germany responded very swiftly. The Federal Republic of Germany was the first country to recognise Kenya as a nation. And, that is the very reason, why German diplomatic vehicles are assigned the code "1-CD". And we are proud of that!

Ladies and gentlemen, Germany and Kenya have a long tradition of close relations based on partnership. Kenya is a stable and reliable country in a crisis-ridden region and one of our key economic partners in East Africa. And I am here today because we want to deepen our relations further.

Only recently, His Excellency President William Ruto and Chancellor Friedrich Merz had a very constructive telephone conversation. One of the topics they discussed was our agreement on migration and mobility. Both these issues are among the most pressing of our time. It is good that our two countries are cooperating very closely in this field.

The world is growing closer together.

Kenya is home to many outstanding minds - scientists and innovators who contribute not only at home, but around the world, including in Germany. I strongly support this exchange!

In addition to the manifold human connections Kenyans and Germans have enjoyed for many decades, we are now seeing Kenyan bus drivers in the North of Germany - where I am from -, nurses from Kisumu caring for patients in Munich, engineers from Nairobi working in companies in Stuttgart, and students from Mombasa conducting research at German universities. We are on a good path towards facilitating skilled labour migration.

At the same time, we are also aware that progress on return cooperation is essential. Here, we still see room for improvement, and we will continue to advocate strongly for effective cooperation. I am confident that through this joint effort we will be able to shape a sustainable and successful partnership in the field of migration and mobility.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have spoken at length about Kenyans in Germany. But Germany is also quite present here in Kenya. First and foremost, there are the tourists who value the Kenyan savannah and beaches as a destination.

But there is more, because Kenya is a booming economy and developing intensively as a high-tech country of the 21^st century. German companies appreciate the Silicon Savannah - where entrepreneurship meets future technologies. The German economy is already represented here by around one hundred and twenty companies, with direct investment totalling 28 million euro.

And we would very much like to see even more German companies here. On the ground, we work closely with the German Chamber of Commerce Abroad, GIZ and KfW. We Germans can learn a great deal in and from Kenya - for example, how cargo bicycles can be powered by solar energy, or how electronic payment systems via mobile phones work - and so much more.

To promote this exchange in many different sectors, we have a Goethe-Institute right in the heart of downtown Nairobi, which plays a particularly important role in language learning. The Goethe-Institute has tripled the number of its German language courses - and still cannot meet the demand. So many Kenyans want to learn German. I regard this interest as a very positive sign. And I like the entrepreneurial spirit which has been shown. Some Germans have turned the shortage of language courses into a business opportunity and have opened a private language school.

Ladies and gentlemen, we live in a time when no country can tackle the challenges of modernity on its own. Many questions require answers from the international community as a whole.

Here in Kenya, too, the effects of climate change are clearly tangible and visible - I am thinking of flooding in Nairobi or drought in the ASAL regions like Turkana or Wajir. When it comes to dealing with these challenges, Kenya is a role model for Africa and beyond. The use of renewable energy, for example, is remarkable. We are grateful to Kenya for its role as a strong partner in climate negotiations. Our climate and development partnership is an excellent example of how we can jointly address climate change on a global scale.

It would be wonderful if, within the framework of the governmental consultations in December, we could receive a clear signal to fire the starting shot for this cooperation portfolio. This would further advance our shared vision of a sustainable future.

For us, Kenya is one of the most important voices on this continent. One of the strongest economies in East Africa. A centre of regional and global cooperation. And that is why I have enjoyed and cherished the encounters I had and the impressions I received today in Nairobi - as did my entire delegation.

Thank you very much indeed!

Asanteni sana!