A United States government official says Africa is more critical now than ever in shaping international rules and collective action as continental solutions will be needed to address current and future world problems.
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Global Markets and Director General of the U.S and Foreign Commercial Service, Department of Commerce, Arun Venkataraman, said Africa is recording growth among the youth population, entrepreneur class.
Mr. Venkataraman said the discovery of reserves of rare earth minerals critical for the green energy transition and the regional integration are all key reasons for this growth.
He said this during a digital press briefing on the upcoming US Africa Leaders’ Summit to take place in Washington from 13th to 15 December 2022 and will be hosted by President Joe Biden.
The Assistant Secretary, who was flanked by, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Middle East and Africa, Department of Commerce Camille Richardson, said the U.S. Department of Commerce, in partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Corporate Council on Africa, are pleased to be hosting the U.S.-Africa Business Forum as a part of the U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit on December 14th.
“The U.S.-Africa Business Forum is intended to support the trade and investment components of the administration’s strategy towards U.S – Sub-Saharan Africa, which focuses on partnering with the public and private sectors to address challenges and drive the future of our commercial relationship,” he said during the virtual briefing.
Mr Venkataraman further stated that the private sector plays a critical role in driving the broader relationship between the United States and African countries.
“The U.S.-Africa Business Forum will bring together key players from the United States and African governments and private sectors to build partnerships that will increasingly be a vital source for solutions to shared challenges going forward,” the official intimated.
Mr Venkataraman highlighted that the role of the U.S. Government is to work with African governments to create commercially enabling environments in which two-way trade and investment can flourish.
Mr Venkataraman also disclosed that the U.S.-Africa Business Forum will convene Heads of State and business leaders from key sectors to advance solutions in a number of critical areas of mutual interest.
The high-level business meeting will among other things address issues of the future of trade and investment partnership, energy and infrastructure finance, agribusiness and digital economy.
And Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Middle East and Africa, Department of Commerce, Camille Richardson, emphasised that the U.S.-Africa Business Forum is a high priority for the US government as it wants the meeting to succeed.
Ms Richardson said Africa has a dynamic environment and is an attractive place for doing business as more U.S. companies are taking notice of these.
She pointed out that even though one of the largest barriers to trade and investment between US and African countries is the lack of physical infrastructure, the Biden administration’s top focus will ensure that opportunities for collaboration in such areas are strengthened.
Ms Richardson also explained that the foreign policy of the United States had changed with emphasis on now partnering with Africa more.
“It is not just about trade and aid. It is really about building a partnership and having a starting point for those conversations about how do we work together to meet the goals of Africa’s industrialisation agenda in 2063, how do we get more small companies and more medium-sized companies doing business together as the African Continental Free Trade Agreement is implemented over time? It is really about focusing on the U.S. Government resources to support the private sector, which is really the driver of transformation, of change, of trade, of being very forward-leaning,” she stated.
And in responding to media queries, Ms Richardson, disclosed that 42 Heads of State from Africa have confirmed attending this year’s U.S. – Africa Leaders’ Summit in December and more than 300 companies from both continents will participate.
The last U.S.-Africa Business Forum, which is part of the high-level meeting during the U.S.-African Leaders Summit, was held in 2016 and was hosted by then former President, Barack Obama in Washington DC.
This year, President Biden has invited 49 African Heads of State and the Head of the AU to Washington for a three-day U.S.-Africa Leaders’ summit to highlight how the U.S. and African nations are strengthening partnerships and advance shared priorities
Highlights of the three-day agenda include a series of forums on the African and Diaspora Young Leaders forum; a civil society forum; a peace, security, and governance forum on the first day.
This will be followed by the U.S.-Africa Business Forum on day two and the third day is the Leaders Day where President Biden is expected to meet Heads of State and heads of delegation from the continent involved.
This sounds more like competition with the Chinese when they invited African leaders for catchy loans . Please think thrice before signing those Unfair deals.
What business forum can the US host surely….Our leaders are so daft they will be smiling at old Joe toasting wine glasses with him instead of advising him on the money he is throwing at Ukraine almost £30 billion in military and food aid…
meanwhile in US their poor can not have free health care, the doctor have to look at your payslip before they can operate on you.
WHY IS AFRICAN UNION WITH 1.4 BILLION PEOPLE NOT REPRESENTED IN THE G20 SUMMIT BUT EUROPEAN UNION WHICH IS SMALLER IS A FULL MEMBER???
And he will be lecturing them like little children while grin exposing ivory white teeth against their black faces. Is it a curse that after so many decades we still depend on these imperialists while gulf countries and India are like equals to them.
LAfrica should not sign exploitative deals till our continent with 1.4 billion people gets representation in the G20. It seems the imperialists have an exclusive meeting specially designed to exploit Africa. It’s simple, how do you exclude the Worlds richest continent from the meet ups. Our leaders need to wake up on this, they excluded us with their Covid vaccinations thinking the virus will wipe us out but by Gods grace we pulled through better than them.WAKE UP AFRICA!
Of what importance is G20 talkshop to you?
Imperialist devil’s. We stand with Russia and China all the way
And the fooooolish African leaders will fly in to Washington on time to recieve goodie bags and selfies from old Joe whilst he le`ctures them like little school kids I hope one bus takes them from the Airport to the event at the same time.
Mr. President attend the meeting virtually…
You think he can miss such a chance?
What business forum can the US host surely….Our leaders are so daft they will be smiling at old Joe toasting wine glasses with him instead of advising him on the money he is throwing at Ukraine almost £30 billion in military and food aid…meanwhile in US their poor can not have free health care, the doctor have to look at your payslip before they can operate on you. He will preach to them how US is commited to spoonfeeding them and they will smile at him…our President will be the first one there as he worhips the muzungus that’s his weakness.
What business forum can the US host surely….Our leaders are so daft they will be smiling at old Joe toasting wine glasses with him instead of advising him on the money he is throwing at Ukraine almost £30 billion in military and food aid…meanwhile in US their poor can not have free health care, the doctor have to look at your payslip before they can operate on you. He will preach to them how US is commited to spoonfeeding them and they will smile at him…our President will be the first one there as he worhips the muz ungus that’s his weakness.
Even local manufacturing,road building and supermarkets groceries are foreign dominated.Big shame on native Africans we’re always reliant on foreign “goodwill” ,dependency and off table crumbs.
Americans are criminals…. Looking at the current government puppets of America iam sure he will sign…even ama rubbis, We can’t have a leader who gives mining companies tax holiday and think that this country will develop yet we depend on copper. All are mineral resources are been stolen and some f.ool is boasting.
Ok why not invite JB to africa and tell him your requiarements rather than y’ll african leaders go to USA were you will be convinced to sign up something at your own will of which all this is playing up because they have realize that china has invested massively in most of african countres in terms of infrastructure of which USA and other western world did not see it coming (war trade) and also they have realize that africa as all have natural resources they require!! So I have to say to y’ll african leaders attending this so called VIP meeting of sort please be aware of what you’re signing for!! the world is shifting so its our turn to flourish!! and other question we have to ask our leaders is, when was USA or other Western countries took interest in our internal affairs busness…
Doesn’t matter what the hosts goal is but it’s up to the African leadership to open their eyes and up their thinking recognizing that Africa still holds sway on natural resources that the western countries still are clamoring for! At least with the Chinese one can point at infrastructure alongside “getting” the raw resources while different story with the Western countries that preach democracy and divergent cultural norms in exchange
kagame is not going