President William Ruto has held talks with Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker in New York, with Kenya and Austria seeking to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, labour and artificial intelligence.
The meeting took place on the margins of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, where President Ruto is leading Kenya’s engagements on investment, employment, technology and reforms to global institutions.
Ruto said Kenya and Austria have maintained long-standing bilateral relations based on shared interests and mutual respect, adding that the two countries were now working to expand economic opportunities for their citizens.
“We are deepening cooperation in trade and investment to expand opportunities for the people of both countries,” Ruto said.
The President said Kenya’s structured bilateral labour agreement with Austria was opening new pathways for young Kenyans to access opportunities abroad.
The labour cooperation forms part of Kenya’s broader efforts to expand international employment opportunities for its workforce while strengthening economic ties with partner countries.
Ruto has increasingly placed job creation and skills development at the centre of Kenya’s international economic diplomacy, particularly as the government seeks opportunities for young people in foreign labour markets.
The talks with Stocker also focused on investment and trade, with Kenya seeking to strengthen economic partnerships that can support businesses and create opportunities for its citizens.
Artificial intelligence was another key area discussed by the two leaders, with Ruto saying Kenya and Austria were strengthening cooperation on both AI development and governance.
“We are also strengthening cooperation in Artificial Intelligence, including its governance, to harness emerging opportunities responsibly,” he said.
The discussions come as Kenya pushes for greater international cooperation on AI governance and seeks a stronger role for developing countries in shaping the rules governing emerging technologies.
At the UN, discussions on AI governance have focused on ensuring that countries have a meaningful role in shaping how the technology develops and is regulated. The President of the 81st UN General Assembly has called for inclusive international engagement on AI and equitable access to AI infrastructure, data and skills.
Beyond bilateral relations, Ruto said Kenya and Austria were also working together on reforms to multilateral institutions.
He said the two countries were supporting efforts to reform the United Nations to make it more responsive to contemporary global challenges.
The President also pointed to the need for reforms to the international financial architecture to make it more inclusive and responsive to the needs of countries across different regions and levels of development.