Good morning! Thanks to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Company Council on Africa, together with the U.S. Division of Commerce crew, for his or her work to prepare at the moment’s occasions.
To the honorable heads of state, ministers from throughout the African continent, welcome. I’m deeply honored to have you ever right here on the 2022 U.S.-Africa Enterprise Discussion board. I additionally wish to welcome business leaders from the U.S. and Africa. Your participation demonstrates the immense financial potential of the U.S.-Africa partnership.
Greater than ever, I consider the U.S.-Africa partnership might be formed by industrial ties between our companies on each side of the continent, together with our ladies, subsequent technology, and Diaspora entrepreneurs. Industrial relationships will drive the know-how cooperation, innovation, and small enterprise progress which can be already remodeling the lives of Africans – from well being to agriculture, from vitality to move, from fintech to inventive industries. And they’ll result in high quality jobs on each side of the Atlantic.
I typically hear from our African companions that they view the U.S. non-public sector as a companion of alternative due to its superior know-how, top quality tools and companies, observe file of growing native expertise and selling innovation, and its potential to entry clear financing and the world’s largest enterprise ecosystem.
U.S. companies inform me they see unprecedented alternatives on the continent, as our African companions take daring steps to enhance the enterprise surroundings, together with by means of the African Continental Free Commerce Space; speed up digital transformation and the vitality transition; and promote well being safety. I consider we’re at a tipping level in our industrial relationship.
And that’s why President Biden has taken unprecedented steps to ramp up U.S. authorities engagement with American enterprise in help of Africa’s transformation. On the Commerce Division, we’re elevating our sport to develop U.S. enterprise engagement in Africa. We’re enhancing technical cooperation to strengthen the industrial enabling surroundings in companion international locations; elevating bilateral MOUs, commerce missions, and industrial advocacy; and dealing with our colleagues throughout the federal government to de-risk non-public funding in key sectors. We additionally intention to increase the footprint of our industrial service on the continent. And I plan to journey to Africa in 2023, joined by main American firms and buyers.
There’s immense potential for what we are able to do collectively. The subsequent technology of Africans and People deserve nothing much less. That’s the reason I’m enthusiastic about at the moment’s panel discussions, the place we’ll hear instantly from enterprise and authorities on key areas of collaboration. And I’m thrilled concerning the offers that we’ll announce on the principle stage and the Prosper Africa Deal Room.
Thanks all as soon as once more for being right here at the moment. With that, let me flip it over to my good friend, the Honorable Macky Sall, President of the Republic of Senegal and Chair of the African Union, for his opening remarks.