Today’s news / Foreign Minister to Kenya with DKK 300m
Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen travels to Kenya shortly after he has finished a visit to China. Here he is seen with the Chinese Trade Minister, Wang Wentao. Photo: Mark Cristino/Ritzau Scanpix

Foreign Minister to Kenya with DKK 300m

Denmark will contribute to strengthening maritime security, preventing irregular migration and fighting organised crime in the Horn of Africa with DKK 300 million over the next three years, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release Monday. Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen has travelled to Kenya for meetings with the political leadership. During the visit, he will announce the Danish contribution, which aims to create “stronger and more equal partnerships” with the countries of Africa.
     Løkke Rasmussen’s trip to Africa is his first as Foreign Minister. “Kenya is an engine for development throughout East Africa and therefore an important foreign policy partner for Denmark and Europe. It is my first trip to the African continent as Foreign Minister, but certainly not the last. We need to strengthen our partnerships with Kenya and other key actors in Africa if we want to address common challenges such as climate, food security and irregular migration. And if we don’t offer ourselves, others will,” Løkke Rasmussen said in the press release.
      “We need to understand what African countries are looking for better, and come up with relevant offers that can strengthen our partnerships across the continent. This requires us to talk more with African governments and listen to their wishes and concerns,” he says. The DKK 300 million is part of the Horn of Africa Peace and Stabilisation Programme that was launched in 2011. Løkke Rasmussen’s two-day tour began on Monday. In addition to political meetings, he will visit the port city of Mombasa. /ritzau/