President Iohannis pays visit to Nairobi National Park, meets Kenya's Minister of Wildlife

President Klaus Iohannis met on Wednesday with Kenya's Minister of Wildlife Alfred Nganga Mutua, and Director General of the Kenya Wildlife Service Erustus Kanga, during a visit to Nairobi National Park, the Presidential Administration said.

The head of state is on a state visit to Kenya from Tuesday.

The Presidential Administration shows that, during his state visit to Kenya, President Klaus Iohannis, like other heads of state, was invited by the Kenyan side to visit the Nairobi National Park, which is unique in the world as it brings a varied biodiversity close to the urban environment.

According to the source, Kenya is a country with a strong profile of national and international involvement in environmental protection, having hosted the United Nations Environment Programme, the COP12 Climate Summit in 2006 and, very recently, the Africa Climate Summit.

Cooperation in the area of climate change mitigation and environmental protection is a central theme of President Iohannis' state visit to Kenya and comes against the background of the President's keen interest in these areas, as well as their presence as important themes in Romania's recently adopted Strategy for Africa, the Presidential Administration added.

"The visit to Nairobi National Park provided an opportunity for a discussion on nature conservation with Kenya's Minister of Wildlife Alfred Nganga Mutua, and Director of the Kenya Wildlife Service, Dr Erustus Kanga," the source said.

Biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management is an important component of the Memorandum of Understanding in the area of environmental protection and climate change, signed on Tuesday between Romania and Kenya, in the presence of President Klaus Iohannis and President William Ruto, the source added, saying that through this document, the two countries intend to work together to promote education on climate change and the environment.

"President Klaus Iohannis has highlighted that education is essential in protecting the environment and limiting climate change and that he will support and promote cooperation between Romania and Kenya in the area of environmental education. During the visit, also discussed were strategies for involving local communities in protecting biodiversity, as well as ways to effectively reconcile nature protection with urban development, and Romania and Kenya will cooperate in these areas," the Presidential Administration said.

President Klaus Iohannis has been on a tour to African countries from Tuesday until 23 November, which includes state visits to Kenya, Tanzania and Cape Verde, as well as an official visit to Senegal.

On Tuesday, he met his Kenyan counterpart, William Ruto, paid a working visit to the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), the African headquarters of the United Nations and a centre for promoting multilateralism and sustainable development, and laid a wreath at the Jumo Kenyatta Mausoleum.

According to the agenda, he will pay a visit to Uthiru Girls High School on Thursday.