The Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry was visited by a delegation from the Kenyan Parliament, headed by Mr. Maurice Bissau Kakai.
The meeting was attended by Mr. Vladimir Platonov, the President of the MCCI, Mr. Suren Vardanyan, Vice-President of the Chamber, and Mr.Konstantin Anastasiadi, Chairman of the MCCI Commission on Foreign Economic Cooperation with Partners in Sub-Saharan Africa.”
I have a particularly warm regard for the Parliament, having been a deputy of the Moscow City Duma (Regional Parliament) for 25 years, and for more than 20 years - its Chairman," Mr. Platonov said, opening the meeting. “The MCCI has wide international connections; we are an integral part of the World System of Chambers of Commerce. I am sure that one of the results of today's meeting will be the fomenting and further development of our contacts with the Chamber of Commerce of Kenya.
Mr. Platonov told the guests that about 840 thousand entrepreneurs and 1 million 230 thousand self-employed people work in Moscow now. In modern conditions, when there is a cardinal redistribution of all markets, many business representatives of the capital are interested in finding new partners, suppliers and markets for their products.
Therefore, now is the most favourable time to establish direct supplies, notably of Kenyan tea. According to Mr. Kakai, Kenya is interested in expanding economic interaction with Russia and Moscow. "Since I am a member of the Committee on Housing, Urban Planning and Public Works in the Parliament, I see good prospects for cooperation in the field of construction of affordable housing," he emphasised.
In addition, there are promising dynamics in the field of education, and, according to the head of the Kenyan delegation, the exchange of students can be bilateral. Mr. Platonov invited members of the delegation to participate in the work of the International Club of Employers: "As a graduate of the Peoples' Friendship University, I know very well what excellent specialists Soviet Union trained for the benefit African countries.
Currently, we are contacting former graduates and offer them to send their employees to us for training, who will not only get a high-quality education, but may also act as representatives of the company that has sent them for training," - said the Head of the MCCI. The meeting’s participants were also informed that Kenya does not have any quotas for students, studying in Russian universities. Mr. Platonov promised to discuss this issue with the leadership of the PFUR.
The members of the delegation were interested in the security issues in Moscow. MCCI representatives told about the use of video surveillance systems on city’s streets and public transport, including facial recognition programs. "Thanks to this system, several thousand wanted criminals have already been apprehended," said the Head of the Chamber.
A member of the Parliament, Mr. Basil Robert Nguy, noted that Kenya is a very promising country for investment: "We are interested in investing in a variety of sectors of the economy, including water purification, agricultural development, etc."
Mr. Kakai invited Mr. Platonov to visit Kenya in order to see its potential with his own eyes. The Head of the MCCI said that it makes sense to talk about sending a business mission to Kenya, which will include the entrepreneurs who really want to develop their business with Kenya. Mr. Platonov emphasized that the MCCI, in its turn, is ready to receive representatives of Kenyan business circles.
"Your short visit to Russia ends, but our friendship does not," Mr. Platonov said at the end of the meeting. “We are ready to send to the Kenyan Parliament materials, concerning the organization of the security system in Moscow, and we are ready to help establish mutually beneficial economic ties."