Bilateral Co-operation
In the field of bilateral co-operation, Kenya and Sudan signed a Bilateral Trade Agreement in 1977 which has had the effect of enhancing ties in the following areas inter alia.
• Trade and Investment
• Agriculture and Allied Sectors
• Civil Aviation
• Tourism and Immigration
• Telecommunications
• Regional Integration (through COMESA, IGAD)
• International Trade Fairs and Trade Delegations
• Security Co-operation along the common border
• Education and Technical Co-operation
• Youth, Culture and Sports
Further, the establishment of the Kenya/Sudan Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) whose 8th JMC meeting was held in Nairobi in August 2003 took the bilateral relations another notch higher. The various MOUs proposed during the 2003 meeting when fully operational will further enhance relations. The focus of the MOUs are on the promotion of:
• Security, Youth and Sports
• Telecommunications
• Animal Resources and Fisheries
• Co-operation in the field of Legal Meteorology
• ICT
• Agreement in the Field of Export Processing Zones
• Joint Business Council (JBC)
• Co-operation between Kenya and Sudan Customs Departments
• Irrigation and Water Resources
• Voluntary repatriation of Returnees from Kenya
• Co-operation between Kenya and Sudan Bureau of Standards in relation to standardization and Conformity Assessment
Most of the issues mentioned above are still outstanding and it is our hope that the 9th Kenya/Sudan JMC would thrash them out including signing of the current Draft Trade Agreement between the two countries. This Draft Agreement, if finally signed will abrogate the 1977 Trade Agreement.