Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Kenyan President William Ruto agreed on Wednesday to strengthen their countries' cooperation in areas related to decarbonization, infrastructure development and bolstering economic ties.
Meeting in Nairobi, the two leaders condemned Russia for its invasion of Ukraine while affirming the importance of the rule of law. They also agreed on promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region, Japan's Foreign Ministry said.
The Japanese government views Kenya as a "like-minded country" in realizing the free and open Indo-Pacific, or FOIP, vision.
Japan will continue to cooperate with Kenya by providing infrastructure development assistance for the East African nation's port of Mombasa, Kishida said during a news conference after the meeting.
The two leaders shared the view that enabling fair and transparent financial development is important for alleviating Kenya's debt problems, according to the Japanese ministry.
The move comes amid concerns about China having created "debt traps" for several African countries by providing them with large loans that have become difficult to repay, consequently allowing Beijing greater leverage over their political affairs.
They also discussed the situation in Sudan. Kishida said Japan welcomes Kenya's readiness, along with Djibouti and South Sudan, to help end the fighting there.
Wednesday's visit to Kenya was the first by a Japanese prime minister since August 2016. Kishida's trip to Kenya is part of a four-leg African tour.