US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday, March 23, held a phone call conversation with President William Ruto.
In a statement, the Deputy Spokesperson for the Department of State, Thomas Pigott, said Ruto and Rubio discussed bilateral cooperation and regional security issues.
During the conversation, Rubio thanked President Ruto for condemning Iran’s attacks against neighboring Gulf states.
The two also discussed the objectives of Operation Epic Fury which is being carried out by the US military in Iran.
“Secretary Rubio thanked President Ruto for his public condemnation of Iranian aggression against Gulf States and discussed the objectives of Operation Epic Fury,” read the statement in part.
At the same time, Rubio appreciated Kenya’s contributions to restoring peace and security in Haiti.
“He also expressed his gratitude for Kenya’s significant contributions to peace and security in Haiti and Kenya’s commitment to ensuring a smooth transition to the Gang Suppression Force,” Pigott stated.
Further, President Ruto and Rubio discussed commercial opportunities and how to further strengthen the partnership between Kenya and the US.
The talks come weeks after President Ruto condemned strikes by Iran targeting Middle East nations, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar.
In a statement on March 2, President Ruto warned that the regionalization of the conflict represents a grave danger to international peace and security.
“Kenya strongly condemns the strikes on the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman, Kuwait, Jordan, and Bahrain in the evolving conflict in the Middle East.
“It is evident that the regionalization of this conflict poses a grave threat to international peace and security,” Ruto stated.
The Head of State emphasized that longstanding multilateral institutions remain indispensable in resolving the Iran crisis.
President Ruto called for an urgent multi-stakeholder engagement to de-escalate the ongoing crisis.
“At this defining and perilous moment in global history, longstanding multilateral institutions remain indispensable frameworks for the resolution of the current crisis in the Middle East. Kenya calls for urgent multi-stakeholder engagement towards de-escalation,” Ruto added.
