Kenya and the European Union signed a trade deal today, described by Kenyan President William Ruto as “historic” and the first major deal since 2016 between the EU and the African continent, where Brussels wants to boost economic their ties to the Chinese presence.

This long-negotiated economic partnership agreement, which was signed in June, guarantees Kenyan products access to the European market without tariffs and without quotasas well as tariff reductions for European products destined for the East African country.

“It is the beginning of a historic partnership for a historic transformation,” said William Ruto during the signing ceremony of the agreement in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, in the presence of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

THE von der Leyen called this partnership “mutually beneficial” and called on other East African countries to join the agreement. “We are opening a new chapter in our very stable relationship and our efforts must now focus on its implementation,” said the head of the Commission.

“The heart of this deal is to put money in the pockets of ordinary people,” said William Ruto.

The parliaments of Kenya and the European Union must now ratify the text, which was described last week by the European Council as “the most ambitious economic partnership” with a developing country.

It also includes commitments to sustainable development, environmental protection and labor rights, the Council said in a statement.

For Kenya, the EU accounts for more than 20% of its exports, according to official figures, mostly agricultural products such as fruit and vegetables, as well as tea and coffee.

Total trade between the two markets will reach 3.3 billion euros in 2022, up 27 percent from 2018, according to EU figures.