Kenya to open an embassy in Azerbaijan

Kenya will open an embassy in Baku as part of a phased optimization of its network of diplomatic missions abroad.

According to Report, this was stated in a statement by Kenya's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Affairs.

According to the document, the decision was made as part of a review of the country's diplomatic presence abroad, taking into account budgetary constraints and foreign policy priorities.

"Under the guidance of the Cabinet, Kenya will open new missions in Baku (Azerbaijan) and Brazzaville (Congo) to strengthen its presence in Central Europe and Central Africa, respectively," the statement says.

As part of the first stage of the optimization, the Kenyan government also plans to close its embassy in Bern (Switzerland).

"Bilateral relations with Switzerland will once again be handled by the Kenya High Commission in London, as was previously the case. At the same time, Kenya will maintain a diplomatic presence in Geneva, where the country's permanent mission will continue to engage with the United Nations and other multilateral organizations located there," the statement says.

In addition, as part of the optimization, Kenya's diplomatic mission in Port-au-Prince (Haiti) has already been relocated to Mexico City, and the mission in Havana (Cuba) to Kingston (Jamaica).

It should be noted that diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Kenya were established on May 28, 2004. On November 18, 2022, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree establishing an Azerbaijani embassy in Kenya. Sultan Hajiyev has served as Azerbaijan's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Kenya since May 23, 2023.

Kenya's ambassador to Iran is also concurrently accredited to Azerbaijan. The two countries cooperate on a bilateral basis and within the framework of international organizations.