BY YANET FANTAYE WOGAYEHU – Mainly focusing on business and investment cooperation, President Biden of the United States of America is set to visit Angola from December 2nd through 4th, says a US official.
His visit will highlight how this visit builds on his bilateral meeting with President Lourenço in November 2023, the U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit in December 2022, and President Lourenço’s visit to the United States in 2021, according to Dr. Frances Brown, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council.
The African nation is known for its minerals that include: iron ore, copper, manganese, gold, phosphates, uranium, feldspar, and platinum. It is indicated that the visit of President Biden underscores the United States’ continued commitment to African partners, including developing on – delivering on commercial infrastructure investment across the region and how collaborating to solve shared challenges delivers for the people of the United States and people across the African continent.
“..we see Angola as a strategic partner and a regional leader. Our relationship with Angola has completely transformed over the past 30 years, and that transformation has really picked up pace over the last three years. In 2023, U.S.-Angola trade totaled approximately $1.77 billion, which makes Angola our fourth-largest trade partner in Sub-Saharan Africa,” said Dr. Frances Brown, briefing African reporters online on Monday.
“We’re also working with Angola to address a range of pressing challenges, including bolstering peace and security in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, growing economic opportunities in the region, and expanding technological and scientific cooperation. As was noted at the top, this visit builds on President Biden’s bilateral meeting with President Lourenço almost exactly a year ago this month, as well as the second U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit which occurred in December 2022, and President Lourenço’s own visit here to the U.S. in 2021,” she said.
“We have three primary goals of the trip. One is to lift up U.S. leadership on trade, investment, and infrastructure in Africa – and Helaina will tell you much more about that. Number two is to highlight Angola’s regional leadership and global partnership on a full spectrum of pressing issues, including trade, security, and health. And lastly, to highlight that remarkable evolution of the U.S.-Angola relationship.”
“So a little bit on the major components of the visit that we’re tracking. I cannot get in front of the President and tell you the full schedule, but I will give you some highlights. So during his visit, President Biden will meet bilaterally with President Lourenço to further conversations on infrastructure, climate, regional peace security – peace and security, the constant work of deepening democracy, and economic shared goals,” said Dr. Frances Brown.
President Biden will also deliver public remarks on the U.S.-Angola relationship as well as the Biden administration’s approach to Africa, according to Dr. Frances Brown. “He’ll do this in front of a really remarkable and meaningful background that I’m – and I’m really looking forward to these remarks. I think they’ll be a nice – a nice marker as the President comes to the end of his own time on – in the presidency.”
It is also indicated that President Biden will also focus on highlighting one of his signature initiatives, the investment of the Lobito Corridor. “Many of you will know that Lobito Corridor is a regionally led effort that the U.S. along with European and private-sector partners have supported through strategic investments…What I’ll share is that from my perspective, what I found really notable about the Lobito Corridor is that it isn’t just about a railroad or critical minerals,” she said.
“It’s also about the communities that are strengthened along the way, it’s about more access to education, it’s about agricultural products moving to market, and it’s about increases in digital connectivity. These investments are being made through transparent, open, and competitive procurement processes,” Dr. Frances Brown said.
“While President Biden is on the ground, he and his delegation will also spend time with Angolan stakeholders who are making real differences in their communities and for the Angolan people. As you may know, with many trips come major deliverables and announcements. Here I can’t get ahead of the President either, but I think we can expect that the President will focus on amplifying several areas of partnership with Angola.”
“One set of announcements will be on Lobito. As you could imagine, the President – since we’ve already mobilized billions of dollars towards Lobito to date, you can imagine that the President will engage with various components of this infrastructure effort and lift those up.”
“Another set of announcements that you’ll hear more about will have to do with the major Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) compact that was recently signed for Zambia that complements the broader agricultural and rail investments in Lobito. And that was recently signed in Lusaka but you’ll hear more about that in the President’s – the President’s trip,” she said.
“I think you can also expect some other deliverables related to global health security and partnership there. You can expect some other deliverables related to food security and agribusiness. You can look for an important announcement on security sector cooperation, and you can look for another announcement on – or other announcements on preserving Angola’s rich cultural heritage.”
“More broadly, I think President Biden will focus on bolstering U.S. economic partnerships that keep our companies competitive and defend workers, strengthening transparency and civic engagement, intensifying action on climate security, and enhancing peace and security. So more to come on all those fronts,” said Dr. Frances Brown.