US, African Union agree to establish infrastructure, investment working group

By Mevlut Ozkan

ISTANBUL (AA)—The US and the African Union (AU) agreed Wednesday to establish a strategic infrastructure and investment working group to boost private-sector investment and strengthen US-Africa economic ties, according to a joint statement.

The statement, shared by the US State Department, said the working group aims to strengthen economic partnership, driving job creation, prosperity, and economic security in both the US and across Africa.

It will provide a “foundation for strategic economic cooperation that will grow and shape the relationship for years to come,” as both sides seek to drive economic growth, it said.

The statement came after Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and AU Commission (AUC) Chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, on Wednesday, reaffirming the US-Africa relationship and highlighting economic growth and trade-enabling infrastructure as key to a “peaceful and prosperous Africa.”

The statement said the working group will serve as a platform for US and AUC officials and experts to identify and advance opportunities for US private sector investment in AU-backed infrastructure projects and initiatives.

It said these investments will leverage AU expertise and US capital to develop critical supply chains, transportation corridors, energy networks, and regulatory harmonization.

Landau is on an African tour, visiting Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Djibouti alongside Gen. Dagvin Anderson, US Africa Command (AFRICOM) commander, from Jan. 24 to Feb. 1.