Africa summit meeting in Berlin

Berlin (dpa / d.de) - Berlin (dpa) - The leaders of numerous African nations will be arriving in Berlin today (Monday) to discuss closer economic cooperation with Europe. The “Compact with Africa” (CwA) conference will focus in particular on increasing private-sector investment in Europe’s neighbouring continent and cooperation on sustainable energy supply. The conference was initiated by Germany during its G20 presidency year in 2017. The aim of the conference is to improve the economic framework conditions in the CwA states with a view to making them more attractive to private investors from abroad.

13 African countries currently belong to this group: Egypt, Ethiopia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, Togo and Tunisia. Other states are interested in joining. That’s why representatives from Angola, Kenya and Zambia are also coming to Berlin.

The summit in Berlin will also be attended by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, EU Council President Charles Michel, French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The host, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, will take advantage of the conference to hold several bilateral talks with individual leaders. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has invited the participants to lunch at Bellevue Palace.