ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) 鈥 U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken began a tour of four African countries on Monday, meeting with the leaders of Cape Verde and Ivory Coast and touting America as the continent's key economic and security ally at times of regional and international crises.
Blinken is visiting Nigeria and Angola next. The tour 鈥 which comes as and threaten the continent's stability 鈥 focuses on trade, security, and democracy promotion.
In Cape Verde's capital, Praia, he met with Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva and said the U.S. is committed 鈥渢o deepening, strengthening, broadening鈥 its partnerships with whose young population of 1.3 billion is set to double by 2050 and make up a quarter of the world's inhabitants.
Analysts say Africa seems to have been pushed to the back burner under President Joe Biden as his administration is increasingly consumed by other international issues such as the fighting in Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war, as well as its rivalry with China. Biden also last year as he promised.
鈥淎s President Biden has said, we are all in when it comes to Africa,鈥 Blinken told the Cape Verdean leader. 鈥淲e see Africa as an essential, critical, central part of our future. This trip 鈥 really does focus on President Biden鈥檚 commitment and conviction that the United States and Africa are joined in partnership for the future,鈥 he added.
Silva described Cape Verde as 鈥渁 longstanding and consistent partner鈥 of the U.S. and said such a visit shows 鈥渢he Biden administration鈥檚 genuine interest in win-win partnerships with Africa.鈥
鈥淲e would like to strengthen our partnership with the U.S. in maritime security and cyber security from a regional, global perspective,鈥 said Silva.
Also Monday, Blinken flew to the Ivory Coast where he met President Alassane Ouattara and senior government officials. They discussed 鈥渟hared priorities of strengthening democracy, expanding trade and improving local and regional security,鈥 the U.S. State Department said in a statement.
He also attended a soccer match between Equatorial Guinea and Ivory Coast, part of the ongoing tournament.
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