Nairobi Summit: Leaders from Africa and France begin arriving

Special Report: Nairobi

Leaders participating in the Africa-France summit, hosted by the Kenyan capital, began arriving Tuesday morning. NairobiWith broad participation from African heads of state and government, along with French President Emmanuel Macron, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Chairperson of the African Union, and a number of leaders of international financial institutions and development partners.

Delegations begin arriving at the summit venue

Cairo News Channel reported in a breaking news bulletin that delegations have begun arriving at the summit venue, which is being held this year under the slogan “Africa Forward,” and focuses on discussing mechanisms to enhance trade and economic cooperation between France and the countries of the African continent.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi arrived in Nairobi on Monday to participate in the summit. He was received at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport by a number of Kenyan officials, including Health Minister Aden Duale, Chief of Protocol Severine Loyali, Egypt’s ambassador to Kenya Hatem Yousry, and members of the Egyptian diplomatic mission.

Participation of 1500 business and institutional leaders from both the African and French sides

The summit kicked off yesterday with an expanded business forum, with the participation of more than 1,500 business leaders and heads of economic institutions from both the African and French sides. The forum addressed investment opportunities and joint cooperation, in addition to reviewing the most prominent projects and initiatives led by the private sector, as well as highlighting the size and development of African investments within France.

The forum included key sessions focusing on youth and job-generating sectors, business success stories, investment presentations aimed at strengthening Africa’s position as an emerging global hub for innovation and opportunity, as well as a special session on the future of African sport.

The forum participants also reviewed the opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area, which is the largest in the world since the establishment of the World Trade Organization in 1995, comprising about 54 countries, with a population of about 1.2 billion people, and a GDP estimated at about $3.4 trillion, representing about 3 percent of the global GDP.

The participating leaders will discuss on Tuesday the issues of peace and security, activating sustainable finance, reforming the international financial system, along with transformations in the energy sector and green manufacturing, developing the blue economy, infrastructure, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, sustainable agriculture, food security, and health.