Africa: Biden's Angola Trip 'Recognises How U.S. Prosperity is Tied to African Partners'

President Joe Biden's visit to Angola is intended to amplify how U.S. leadership impacted trade, investment, and Infrastructure in the region, and highlight the "remarkable evolution" of the U.S.-Angola relationship, senior White House officials said in an online briefing. Scheduled from December 2 to December 4, 2024, it will mark the outgoing president's first African visit.

Biden's Special Assistant and Senior Director for African Affairs Frances Brown said the visit would be a fulfillment of the president's commitment to African leaders but the trip also "fits into the Biden administration's approach to Africa", and how the U.S. champions African leadership across multiple fora, including at the UN, G20, and other international financial institutions.

Brown said while Biden may be making his first trip to the region, "more than 20 Cabinet members and leaders of U.S. departments and agencies" have visited in the last two years. The "prosperity of the U.S. is tied to that of our African partners, and this trip is a recognition of that," he said.

During the briefing, Brown highlighted the "strategic" nature of the U.S. relations with Angola while noting that U.S.-Angola trade totaled nearly $2 billion, making the southern African country "our fourth-largest trade partner in Sub-Saharan Africa". Brown said President Biden's discussions with his Angola counterpart Joao Lourenco will include infrastructure, climate, and regional security.

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