New Delhi: Namgya C. Khampa has been appointed as the High Commissioner of India to Kenya, a press release by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

"Namgya C. Khampa (IFS: 2000) presently Deputy Chief of Mission in Embassy of India, Kathmandu, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Kenya," it read.

Ambassador Khampa is expected to take up the assignment shortly.

India and Kenya are maritime neighbours. The contemporary ties between India and Kenya have now evolved into a robust and multi-faceted partnership, marked by regular high-level visits, increasing trade and investment as well as extensive people to people contacts.

India-Kenya consultations on UN and Multilateral issues at DG level were held in Nairobi on June 6, 2022.

Both sides reviewed their ongoing cooperation during their current tenure as non- permanent members of the UN Security Council and reaffirmed their commitment to work closely together in the UNSC and other multilateral fora. They discussed issues on the agenda of the UNSC, including regional country files in the Horn of Africa region and other thematic issues related to counter terrorism and UN Peacekeeping.

In keeping with their multi-faceted partnership, both sides agreed to deepen their engagement at other multilateral fora, including at the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), Commonwealth and G77 groupings.

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar paid an official visit to Kenya from June 12-14, 2021 and Co-Chaired the Third Session of Kenya-India Joint Commission Meeting.

During the visit, the two Ministers held bilateral consultations at which they hailed the cordial and historic relations between the two countries, underpinned by common values and strong people-to-people links dating back many centuries.

Both Ministers positively noted the mutual desire to expand bilateral cooperation under the Kenya- India Joint Commission Framework. This underscores their commitment to the relationship playing a greater role in regional and global context. They will continue to strengthen their relations through structured and systematic engagements. The challenging circumstances of Covid-19 pandemic has only made their resolve in this regard even stronger.

Cognizant of the travel challenges due to the Covid-19 situation, both sides welcomed increased bilateral engagements either physically or virtually on issues of mutual interest in order to maintain momentum in relations.

The two sides deliberated on the impact of Covid-19 situation globally and called for joint efforts to combat the disease as well as consolidate economic collaboration during the pandemic and post-Covid-19 period. They emphasized the need for equitable and affordable access to vaccines and ensuring treatment for all.

During the deliberations, the External Affairs Minister of India emphasized that India's approach was guided by the 10 principles of engaging Africa, enunciated by PM Modi in July 2018. Africa's priorities would continue to be the paramount factor in our bilateral cooperation.

Accordingly, he recognized the Big Four Agenda of Kenya on Manufacturing, Affordable Housing, Universal Health and Food Security, and underlined that India will further build upon its partnership taking these into account. Both sides reiterated their strong commitment to South-South Cooperation and expressed confidence that their bilateral partnership would be an exemplar in that regard.