French President Emmanuel Macron has reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening ties with Kenya, following a high-level meeting with President William Ruto in Seville, Spain.
The talks, held on the sidelines of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, focused on sustainable development, regional peace, and joint projects in energy, agriculture, and transport.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on the evening of Monday, June 30, 2025, President Macron noted the shared vision between France and Kenya—that no country should be forced to choose between economic growth and environmental preservation.
“With President @williamsruto, we share a common commitment: that no country should have to choose between development and protecting the planet. This is the ambition we are bringing today to Seville with our partners as part of the Pact for Prosperity, People and the Planet, launched two years ago in Paris,” Macron wrote on X.
Bilateral initiatives
Macron also highlighted major bilateral initiatives already in motion between the two nations, particularly in the areas of energy transition, sustainable agriculture, and transport infrastructure. These projects reflect both countries’ focus on practical, forward-looking solutions to development challenges.
Beyond economic collaboration, the two presidents discussed peace and security in the wider region. They reaffirmed their shared commitment to promoting stability in the Great Lakes region, Sudan, and Somalia—areas currently facing significant humanitarian and security challenges.
“We will also champion this ambition at the Africa–France Summit, co-chaired by Kenya and France next spring in Nairobi. With President Ruto, we also discussed major projects underway between our two countries in the fields of energy transition, transport, and agriculture. In this context, we reaffirmed our shared commitment to peace and security in the Great Lakes region, Sudan, and Somalia,” Macron stated.
Africa-France summit
Kenya will make history as the first non-Francophone African nation to host the Africa-France Summit in 2026.
Announced during the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York, Presidents William Ruto and Emmanuel Macron broke tradition by selecting Nairobi as the next venue for the event, which has previously been held exclusively in France or Francophone African countries since its inception in 1973.
The decision to shift the summit to Kenya signals a bold move for France, reflecting both countries’ commitment to addressing global challenges with fresh perspectives.
It also elevates Kenya’s status as a diplomatic and environmental leader in Africa, a position further solidified during Ruto’s leadership of the 2023 African Climate Summit.
