Oct. 14 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden will meet with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta at the White House on Thursday, in is first official meeting with the leader of an African nation.
The White House said the bilateral meeting will focus on the nations' diplomatic relations and the administration's commitment to the U.S. partnership.
"They will also discuss efforts to defend democracy and human rights, advance peace and security, accelerate economic growth, tackle climate change, and the need to bring transparency and accountability to domestic and international financial systems," the White House said in a statement.
The civil war in Ethiopia is expected to warrant some attention from both leaders at the meeting. Kenyatta has called for a political solution and dialogue between Ethiopian leaders and Tigray rebels.
Biden signed an order last month that authorized economic sanctions against Ethiopian leaders over the fighting in the Tigray region, where conflict for much of the past year has blocked humanitarian aid and pushed Ethiopians to the brink of famine.
Kenyatta, who's president of the United Nations Security Council, was named in the Pandora Papers. It linked he and six family members to offshore holdings worth more than $30 million.
Kenyatta has denied the accusations.