US President Joe Biden will visit Angola from October 13 to 15 to strengthen economic partnerships and mark the creation of the first open-access transcontinental rail network in Africa, Washington announced on Tuesday.
“From October 13 to 15, President Biden will travel to Luanda, Angola, where he will meet with Angolan President João Lourenço to discuss further collaboration on shared priorities, including strengthening our economic partnerships that keep our companies competitive and protect workers,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
During this visit to Angola, which will follow a trip to Germany from 10 to 13 October, the G7 (group of the seven most developed countries) “Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI)” project will be formalised, which aims to create the first transcontinental open-access railway network in Africa, which starts in the Angolan city of Lobito and will eventually connect the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean, passing through the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia.
Other topics on the table will be strengthening democracy and civic engagement, stepping up action on climate security and the transition to clean energy, and strengthening peace and security, he said.
“The President’s visit to Luanda (which will be the first by a US head of state to this Portuguese-speaking African country) celebrates the evolution of the relationship between the US and Angola, underscores the United States’ continued commitment to African partners, and demonstrates how collaboration to solve shared challenges is beneficial to the people of the United States and the entire African continent,” he explained.
Before going to Angola, Joe Biden will pass through Germany, from October 10 to 13, to “reinforce the fight against anti-Semitism and hatred” as well as the values of democracy and the “lasting ties” between the two nations, as well as “cooperation in economics, trade and technology”, he said.
“President Biden will also express his appreciation to Germany for supporting Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression, hosting U.S. service members, and contributing to the security of the United States, Germany, and the entire NATO Alliance,” he added.
This will be Biden’s first trip to Africa since arriving at the White House in January 2021, and he will also be the first US president to visit sub-Saharan Africa since then-President Barack Obama traveled to Kenya and Ethiopia in 2015.
Source: www.jornaldenegocios.pt
