Biden will be the first US president to visit sub-Saharan Africa since 2015 (Photo: PTI)
President Joe Biden will make a long-awaited African visit to Germany and Angola in mid-October, the White House announced Tuesday.
Biden had promised during a conference of African leaders that he held in Washington in late 2022 to visit Africa the following year. His visit would be part of an administration effort to strengthen ties with the continent, in part to counter growing influence there from China, a rival of the US.
Several members of the Cabinet and Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as first lady Jill Biden, visited African countries in 2023, but a year passed without a visit by Biden.
Now, with only a few months left in office after completing his re-election campaign, Biden plans to travel to Berlin and Luanda, Angola, from October 10-15, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced while Biden was in New York. He delivered his final speech as president to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday.
Biden will be the first US president to visit sub-Saharan Africa since 2015.
During meetings in Berlin with German leaders, Biden will promote alliances and express gratitude to Germany for supporting the defense of Ukraine against Russian aggression, holding members of the American military and its role in the NATO alliance, Jean-Pierre said.
The president will visit Luanda, the capital of Angola, in central Africa, from October 13-15 to discuss cooperation on several issues with President Joao Loureno, economic relations and infrastructure, including the railway project that will start in Lobito, Angola, and finally connect -Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean, among other issues, said Jean-Pierre.
Asked in May about the timing of the Africa trip, Biden said he hoped to visit after the November presidential election.
I plan to continue in February after I am re-elected, Biden said when he welcomed Kenyan President William Ruto to the White House during his US state visit.
(Only the headline and image for this report may have been reused by Business Standard staff; other content is automatically generated from the trade feed.)
First published: Sep 25 2024 | 7:09 AM IST