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Dec. 14 (UPI) — U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday that the U.S.-Africa leaders summit in Washington, D.C., has so far produced more than $15 billion in new deals that will improve the lives of people across the African continent.
Biden said the summit, which is hosting 50 African leaders for the first time since 2014, is meant to strengthen the cooperation between the United States and African nations.
“This forum is about building connections and about the future, our shared future,” Biden said in livestreamed remarks. “African success and prosperity is essential to securing a better and more prosperous future for all of us, not just for Africa.”
The deals include a U.S. Trade Representative memorandum of understanding with the African Continental Free Trade Area Secretariat to support institutions to accelerate sustainable economic growth in Africa.
According to the White House, when fully implemented the agreement will create a combined continent-wide market of 1.3 billion people and $3.4 trillion, the fifth-largest economy in the world.
Biden said shared success and opportunity are the goals of the various deals and commitments, adding that African leadership needs to be at the table to solve the world’s problems.
“The United States is committed to supporting every aspect of Africa’s inclusive growth and creating the best possible commercial engagement,” Biden said.
He said when it comes to Africa, the United States is “all-in.”
Power Africa, which has helped close 145 power generation investments of more than $24 billion, has announced the Clean Tech Energy Network — a collaboration between U.S. and African energy stakeholders expected to mobilize $350 million in deals.
Other deals and agreements from the U.S.-Africa summit include The Millenium Challenge Corporation signing an agreement with Benin and Niger totaling $504 million. With additional contributions of $15 million from Benin and Niger, the regional compacts will support regional economic integration, trade and cross-border collaboration.
Biden said these deals are “concrete proof” of commitments between the United States and Africa.
The three-day summit that started Tuesday is focusing on many issues facing Africa and the world, including health, food security, civil wars, climate change and space exploration.
Before the summit concludes Biden is expected to announce a $55 billion commitment to Africa over the next three years. He will also announce U.S. support for the African Union to join the Group of 20 permanently and U.S. support for creating a permanent African continent seat on the U.N. Security Council.
According to National Security adviser Jake Sullivan, the U.S.-Africa summit is not about coercing African nations into supporting U.S. Ukraine policy.
But Douglas Dillon, senior fellow for Africa studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said the summit seems to be a U.S. overture to Africa partly in response to African countries’ reaction to the Russian war on Ukraine.
“There’s a part of me that sort of feels that the American policy establishment is shaken by the African reaction to the Ukraine conflict. And this seems to be an overture,” Dillon said. “This seems to be born out of a realization that things aren’t what they used to be. And if the United States is going to have to hold on to its allies in the region, it is going to have to do some smooching.”
At the summit on Tuesday Nigeria and Rwanda became the first African nations to sign NASA’s Artemis Accord. They are the 22nd and 23rd countries to sign the agreement, which includes a pledge to advance space exploration and addressing Earth issues like climate change and the global food crisis.
The summit’s opening event was a forum for African and diaspora young leaders.
In a statement, the U.S. State Department announced three collaborative partnerships with the African Diaspora Network, the Atlantic Council and Netflix to support the forum’s theme of “Amplifying Voices: Building Partnerships that Last.”
“The African and Diaspora Young Leaders Forum, held on December 13 in Washington, DC as part of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, reflected the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to strengthening the dialogue between U.S. officials and the Diaspora in the United States,” a White House statement said.
