IPNEWS: United States Ambassador to the United Nations and U.S. Delegation head of this year’s U.S.-Africa Business Summit in Dallas, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, has assured continued U.S. support to Africa in sustaining the relationship on the continent and touch more lives.
At a meeting on sidelines of the U.S.-Africa Business Summit currently taking place in Dallas, Texas, Amb. Thomas-Greenfield, recounted the tremendous support of the U.S. government through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in touching the lives of millions and millions of people in its two-decade history, promising that the U.S. delegation at the U.S.-Africa Business Summit have a firm commitment to accelerate conversations with African governments and with the private sector as well as members of the African diaspora to ensure a continue buildup of relationships that will touch more millions of people across the continent of Africa.
She stated that as demonstrated by the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, the Biden-Harris administration has made partnership with the continent a cornerstone of U.S. economic and diplomatic strategy.
“And so, in the last year and a half alone, we’ve supported and helped close to 547 new deals, for a total estimated value of over $14 billion. We’ve helped increase digital infrastructure, transportation, and clean energy projects across the continent. We’ve worked to increase our engagement with the African diaspora. And it was interesting seeing that. As we talk about the diaspora, I remember many years ago meeting with members of the diaspora, trying to figure out how we could work together, and now we have an actual council, a diaspora group that we can work with.”
“This week’s gathering both speaks to and strengthens these ties, with a delegation of senior officials from across the U.S. government here at the table with me. The diversity of the more than a dozen U.S. departments and agencies and presidential initiatives represented here reflect the breadth and depth of our opportunities for partnership with the United States and Africa.” Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told a gathering of African Leaders during the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Millennium Challenge Corporation.
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, on behalf of the entire Biden-Harris administration, expressed how thrilled she was to be here at the U.S.-Africa Business Summit, especially among colleagues from across the world.
Inclusive and sustainable economic growth for Africans and Americans is at the forefront of President Biden’s agenda for the U.S.-Africa partnership. Building on the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, the U.S. delegation will further strengthen economic ties through trade and investment with Africa and the Diaspora.
The U.S. outstanding diplomat recounted the holding of the first summit some 16 years ago, while she served as U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, face by real challenges – including global recession, yet with tremendous amount of hope, that comminated into the planning for the Summit along with others that has now come to fruition.
“There was a lot of hope – as I said, hope that in the years to come there would be increased trade and investment; that Africa would become even more of a hub for entrepreneurship and innovation. And I don’t need to tell any of you that getting there hasn’t been without challenges. Over the last 16 years we’ve seen democratic backsliding; we’ve seen epidemics that pushed public health to the brink; the negative impact of climate change and conflict and even COVID on agriculture and food security; and a population boom that infrastructure and the economy haven’t fully kept pace with. But we’ve also seen a tremendous amount of innovation and resilience, and we’ve seen the ties between the United States and Africa continue to grow stronger.” Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield statement concludes.
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield heads a senior U.S. Government delegation to
Dallas for going 16th U.S.-Africa Business Summit which brings together more than 1,500 U.S. and African public and private sector executives including Heads of State, international investors, U.S. and African government officials, and multilateral stakeholders.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield is joined by:
- Alice Albright, Chief Executive Officer, Millenium Challenge Corporation,
- Steve Benjamin, Assistant to the President, Senior Advisor to the President and Director of Public Engagement,
- Reta Jo Lewis, Chair and President, the Export-Import Bank of the United States
- Enoh Ebong, Director, U.S. Trade and Development Agency,
- Nisha Biswal, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation,
- Amos Hochstein, Deputy Assistant to the President & and Senior Advisor to the President for Energy and Investment,
- Geoffrey Pyatt, Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, U.S. Department of State,
- Joy Basu, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, U.S. Department of State,
- Eric Meyer, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Treasury for Africa and the Middle East, U.S. Department of Treasury,
- Thomas Bruns, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Middle East and Africa, U.S. Department of Commerce,
- British Robinson, Coordinator of Prosper Africa,
- Richard Nelson, Coordinator of Power Africa,
- Helaina Matza, Acting Special Coordinator for the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, and
- Deniece Laurent-Mantey, Executive Director of The President’s Advisory Council on African Diaspora Engagement in the United States, U.S. Department of State
