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Roundup: Kenyan leader woos Israeli investors during Netanyahu's visit

Xinhua, July 6, 2016 Adjust font size:

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday called on Israeli business community to take advantage of the country's enormous natural resources and invest.

He was speaking at a Kenya-Israel Business Forum which brough together business people from the two countries and was also attended by visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Kenyatta said the main objective of his government was to expand and improve the country's economy.

"We are doing our best to harness that latent potential through the regional infrastructure projects we are pursuing -- the internal roads we are laying, the Standard Gauge (railway) line we are constructing, the unparalleled investments in energy we are making," he said.

He called on Israeli entrepreneurs to seek to invest in the country, saying they are not only guaranteed short term gains but long term stable profits.

He pointed out that the country has a wealth of natural resources as well as a young and dynamic population coupled with a strategic geographical location which is an access point to a big market in East Africa.

He said the government was reforming the education sector to "ensure that our education evolves to meet the needs of our local market and the global market of the 21st century."

"Again, that's another area where I hope we will learn from Israel," he added.

He said the phenomenon of Israel's economic success remained a global inspiration and spoke to many countries including Kenya.

Kenyatta said the two nations were yet to exploit their full extent of economic cooperation, adding Netanyahu's visit provided a platform to explore numerous and diverse business opportunities.

Addressing the entrepreneurs, Netanyahu urged Israeli entrepreneurs to invest in Kenya.

He said his government had both strategic national and global interests in Kenya's prosperity and that it would only be prudent for his countrymen to utilize investment opportunities available in the East Africa's largest economy.

"Come and invest in Kenya -- the opportunities are great, there is an inflection point where the economy can take off," he said.

He added the two governments were ready to reduce any business risks that might arise.

Netanyahu arrived in Nairobi on Monday night for a three-day visit, which is part of his four-nation Africa tour. Endit