ADDIS ABABA, June 11 (Xinhua) — Djibouti and Kenya have agreed to abolish visa requirements for their respective nationals, the office of Kenya President William Ruto disclosed on Sunday.

In a press statement, the office of Kenya president said the two east African nations hope to spur their bilateral trade with a push for a visa free regime for respective nationals. The two countries also hope to boost bilateral investment ties as well as bolster regional stability with the move to abolish visa requirements for their respective nationals. 

The bilateral visa free agreement was reached earlier on Sunday during a meeting of the Kenyan President William Ruto and his Djiboutian counterpart Ismail Omar Guelleh in Djibouti city. The office of Kenya president also disclosed that the two leaders discussed the resumption of air transport between Nairobi and Djibouti city. 

Ruto is currently in Djibouti to attend the 14th Ordinary Session of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Assembly of Heads of State and Government which will take place in Djibouti city starting from Monday. 

Kenya and Djibouti are founding members of the eight member states of the east African bloc IGAD, which was created in 1996 to supersede the Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development (IGADD) founded in 1986 with a view to enhancing political and economic ties among east African nations.