Blinken Says Expects Biden, Other US Officials to Visit Africa Next Year
US President Joe Biden participates in a family photo with the leaders of the US-Africa Leaders Summit at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, on December 15, 2022.
Muhammad OsmanWASHINGTON (Sputnik) – Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that he expects a number of US officials, including President Joe Biden, to visit the continent next year during remarks at the closing of the US-Africa Leaders Summit.”I think, you’re going to see a lot of us [US officials] in Africa next year, including the president,” Blinken said on Thursday. Blinken praised progress made at the US-Africa Leaders Summit, but emphasized that it is critical to implement the commitments made during the event over the coming months.Earlier during the summit, US President Joe Biden told the African heads of states that he is eager to travel to Africa and may show up on the continent after being invited to visit by African leaders.
"I’m eager to visit your continent because I told some of you who invited me to your countries," Biden said at the opening ceremony of the US-Africa summit in Washington. "I said, be careful what you wish for because I may show up. The poor relatives always show up."
It had been revealed earlier that President Biden has intentions to visit the African continent during 2023. However, at the moment, it is not known which African countries and how many of them will be visited by the US leader.
