According to information from the White House, the president of the United States is scheduled to make a couple of international trips mid-October.
One of said trips is going to bring him to Angola, the first time he is visiting Africa since becoming president in 2021.
Scheduled to be in Angola from October 13th to October 15th, the US president, according to the White house intends to meet with Angolan president João Lourenco to discuss increased cooperation on common goals, including strengthening economic relationships and improving peace and security.
The US president was supposed to visit the Southern African country late last year, but the trip was postponed due to the commencement of the Israel-Hamas war in October.
“On October 13-15, President Biden will travel to Luanda, Angola, where he will meet with President João Lourenço of Angola to discuss increased collaboration on shared priorities, including bolstering our economic partnerships,” the statement from the White House reads.
Speaking on the G7’s Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGI), the statement discloses that the visit would be celebrating the:
“Joint vision for Africa’s first trans-continental open-access rail network that starts in Lobito and ultimately will connect the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean.”
Some other members of the Joe Biden administration, including Vice President Kamala Harris, and First Lady Jill Biden visited African countries in 2023.
Previous plans to visit Africa
In December 2023, the current US president had announced his plans to visit Angola on a trip to resurge U.S. involvement in Africa.
Part of the reason for the visit back then was to come to an agreement with Angola on the Artemis Accords, a pact aimed at shaping the rules for space exploration.
Angola, with a satellite program that has received support from Russia, has been a key player in space-related initiatives.
He also made another promise to visit Africa in February, should he be re-elected as president.
However, he withdrew from the race, endorsing his vice, Kamala Harris, owing to his physical inability to continue as president.
“I plan on going in February after I am reelected,” Biden said back in May, while welcoming Kenyan President William Ruto upon his arrival at the White House for the first of two days of meetings and a state dinner.
