Seoul, May 30 (IANS) Kenya’s top diplomat has hinted at seeking South Korean cooperation in areas of rare earth refinement and nuclear energy, signalling Nairobi’s desire to expand bilateral cooperation beyond traditional development assistance.

In a written interview with Yonhap News Agency, Kenyan Foreign Minister Musalia Mudavadi expressed hope to work with South Korea to produce greater value from his country’s rare earth mineral resources.

“The real potential in rare earth elements lies in their refinement,” Mudavadi said when asked of areas of potential future cooperation with South Korea. “We are open to partnering with our development partners to acquire the appropriate and necessary technologies to help us exploit their potential.”

Mudavadi will be one of over 50 foreign ministers from African nations set to participate in the Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting to be held Monday in Seoul. Participants will discuss joint responses to multiple global challenges and ways to boost cooperation for shared growth.

He also pointed to opportunities for cooperation in renewable and nuclear energy as Kenya seeks to diversify its energy mix and address climate-related challenges.

“Kenya also looks forward to collaborating with Korea to develop our nuclear energy program,” Mudavadi said.

South Korea and Kenya established diplomatic relations 60 years ago and have since expanded cooperation in development assistance, technology transfer, digital infrastructure and education.

Describing South Korea as a strategic and economic partner for Kenya, Mudavadi said his country has benefited from Seoul’s knowledge-sharing and technology transfer efforts while seeking to broaden cooperation into new sectors.

“Kenya has much to learn from Korea’s growth trajectory, and Korea has been gracious and helpful in the way of knowledge sharing and technology transfer,” he said.

Mudavadi highlighted recent efforts to further strengthen economic ties, including the envisioned establishment of an office of the Export-Import Bank of Korea in Nairobi and ongoing cooperation in digital infrastructure projects, particularly the Konza Technopolis smart city project.

He also welcomed Seoul’s recent designation of Kenya as a priority partner country under Korea’s official development assistance (ODA) program.

“Kenya does not take this designation for granted,” he said. “We are deeply grateful and see this as a welcome opportunity to enhance the scope of development cooperation to fulfill our national aspirations.”

Looking forward, Mudavadi encouraged Korean companies to use Kenya as a base for expanding into the broader African market.

—IANS

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