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Tag: Rex Tillerson

  • Trump’s gambit Iran: World awaits decision on nuclear deal

    “Insane,” “ridiculous,” “worst deal ever” are some of the descriptions used by US President Donald Trump for the Iran nuclear agreement, which he has bitterly opposed since early in his campaign for the White House.

    The world will soon find out whether Trump’s rants about the 2015 deal will produce a concrete shift in US diplomacy, regarding one of the most important foreign policy issues of his presidency.

    Trump officially has until Saturday to decide whether to reintroduce US sanctions on Iran, which among other things could spell an end to the accord.

    But he has said he will announce his decision at 2.00 p.m. ( 1800 GMT ) on Tuesday.

    In January, Trump renewed waivers for US sanctions on Iran but warned that it was the last time he would do so unless several “disastrous flaws” in the agreement were addressed.

    His ultimatum triggered a 120-day period that ends this weekend.

    There is a growing consensus in the United States that his decision will effectively pull the US out of the deal, and that prospect has been accompanied by a range of speculation over what comes next.

    French President, Emmanuel Macron, said he didn’t know what Trump would decide.

    But after several meetings with the president over a three-day state visit recently he said: “My view is that he will get rid of this deal on his own for domestic reasons’’.

    “The president campaigned on getting out of the deal and I think that he’s going to do so,’’ Lieut.-Gen. William G Boykin said on Thursday on Fox News.

    Iranian leaders already have pledged to abandon the deal if the US withdraws.

    But it could remain in the deal with Britain, France and Germany, along with China and Russia, which have expressed their continued support.

    Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has warned that if Trump withdraws, it could risk war.

    Since Trump issued the ultimatum in January, U.S. and European negotiators have met a number of times to address US concerns within and beyond the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA ), as the deal is formally known.

    The U.S. side has raised four main issues: Iran’s ballistic missile programme, its involvement in regional conflicts, inspection of Iranian nuclear sites and so-called sunset clauses.

    The sunset clauses, which let some restrictions on Iran’s nuclear programme expire, have proved the most difficult of these.

    The U.S. claims that the clauses provide Iran with a pathway to building nuclear weapons over time.

    Trump has pushed the European partners to search for possible compromises.

    Determined to stay in the deal, the bloc has argued that abandoning it would not help address the ballistic weapons issue or Iran’s role in the region.

    “The JCPOA is a non-proliferation agreement.

    “Other issues of concern are addressed separately,’’ a senior EU official said on condition of anonymity.

    “If the deal falls apart, you would not be in any better position to tackle these issues.’’

    Furthermore, the deal is doing what it is supposed to do, by curbing Iran’s nuclear activities, the official noted.

    If the agreement falls apart and there’s no substitute, he said, it would “probably trigger a nuclear arms race in the region.’’

    The dramatic developments on the Korean Peninsula may also influence Trump’s thinking on the nuclear deal.

    Pulling out of the JCPOA could erode the trust he’s tried to build in the effort to denuclearise the Korean Peninsula, ahead of a planned meeting with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un; or it could send a strong message to Pyongyang that Trump is prepared to deliver on his threats.

    Domestic politics could likewise have a role to play, as Trump could be thinking about fulfilling a campaign promise ahead of the November mid-term elections to boost his Republican Party’s chances of maintaining its majority in Congress.

    In recent weeks, Trump has manoeuvred aggressively.

    Read Also: U.S. Ambassador to UN disapproves of Trump’s “communication style”

    He has changed his secretary of state, switching the moderate Rex Tillerson for the more hawkish Mike Pompeo, a fierce critic of the Iran deal.

    He has also brought in John Bolton, a foreign policy hawk, as his national security adviser.

    Pompeo met Israeli President, Benjamin Netanyahu, on his first foreign trip after taking office, stressing that if the Iran nuclear deal cannot be fixed, Trump will withdraw.

    The “full array of threats,’’ including Iran’s missile systems and support for militant groups in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen must be addressed as part of a revised agreement, he said.

    Pompeo also said documents that Netanyahu revealed April 30 show that Iran had a secret nuclear weapons programme for years and lied about it.

    “What this means is the deal was not constructed on a foundation of good faith or transparency,’’ Pompeo said.

    NAN

  • Expectations, opportunities as Buhari visits Trump at White House

    President Muhammadu Buhari would be hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday at the White House to discuss issues, including fighting terrorism and economic growth.

    Buhari, during the one-day official working visit to the U.S. at the invitation of Trump, would have bilateral meeting with the U.S. president and a working lunch.

    “President Trump looks forward to discussing ways to enhance our strategic partnership and advance our shared priorities: promoting economic growth and reforms, fighting terrorism and other threats to peace and security, and building on Nigeria’s role as a democratic leader in the region.

    “The relationship of the United States with Nigeria is deep and strong, and Nigeria’s economic growth, security, and leadership in Africa will advance our mutual prosperity,” the White House said.

    International affairs experts say Buhari’s U.S. visit is strategic in many fronts, especially in view of the fact that the Nigeria-U.S. relationship was not too good prior to the inauguration of Buhari as president.

    They say Buhari, being the first democratically-elected African President that would be hosted by Trump since his inauguration and also being the first African leader Trump spoke to on phone following his inauguration as the U.S. president, speak volume.

    They also note that former U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visited Nigeria in March in a first five-country African tour embarked upon by any official of the Trump administration.

    These historic events, the experts say, apart from reaffirming Nigeria’s strategic position in Africa, raised a lot of expectations and opportunities during the visit.

    The Special Adviser to Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, highlighted some of the expectations and opportunities.

    “The meeting is to discuss ways to enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries and to advance shared priorities, such as promoting economic growth, fighting terrorism and other threats to peace and security.

    “The meeting will further deepen the U.S.-Nigeria relationship as the United States considers Nigeria’s economic growth, security and leadership in Africa to be critical aspects of their strategic partnership.

    “Later in the day, President Buhari will meet with a group of business persons in agriculture and agro-processing, dairy and animal husbandry,” Adesina said.

    Ahead of the visit, meetings were scheduled between senior Nigerian Government officials and executives of major U.S. companies in the areas of agriculture, aviation and transportation.

    The presidency said the Nigerian officials would be meeting with Boeing, the largest aircraft manufacturer in the world, on the National Carrier Project.

    On agriculture, the Nigerian delegation will also meet with large equipment manufacturers with focus on harvesting and post harvesting equipment.

    In the area of transportation, the officials will meet with the GE-led consortium for the implementation of the interim phase of the narrow gauge rail concession.

    A substantive concession agreement will be negotiated and finalised, to provide the consortium the opportunity to invest an estimated two billion dollars, to modernise the rail line from Lagos to Kano and from Port Harcourt to Maiduguri.

    In addition, the concession framework and the interim phase framework agreements are expected to be signed during the visit.

    The Nigerian officials will also meet with U.S.-EXIM Bank and the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation to explore competitive financing arrangements.

    U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Stuart Symington, said the Buhari-Trump meeting “will be a very high level meeting; it will help the U.S. to also understand Nigeria’s projection”.

    “There will be independent conversation on security, governance, the Lake Chad Basin and Nigeria’s role as a democratic leader in the region,’’ Symington said.

    Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, also described the visit as a sign of the growing cooperation between the U.S. and Nigeria.

    Mohammed said: “There will be independent conversation on security, governance, the Lake Chad Basin and Nigeria’s role as a democratic leader in the region.”

    “The meeting between President Trump and President Buhari will centre majorly on security and the economy and I think it’s not by co-incidence and I think it’s quite important.

    “He ( Buhari ) is the President of the most populous country in Africa, the president of the country with the largest economy in Africa.

    “And this is quite important because it is going to offer the opportunity for the two countries to reset their ties.

    “And I think it’s probably the fact that the world is now understanding that Nigeria is very strategic not just to the sub-region but the entire Africa,” Mohammed said.

    Amb. Hakeem Balogun, Nigeria’s ambassador to Indonesia, sees a very positive outing, saying the Nigeria-U.S. relation has improved greatly since Buhari became president and described the relationship as “very warm”.

    “The Nigeria-U.S. relationship is quite good. It’s been very warm and lovely ever since the coming of this administration.

    “Prior to President Buhari’s ascendancy, the relationship was sort of lukewarm following the American’s complaints over Nigeria’s handling of security issues, human rights allegations, issues of corruption, issues of governance.

    “These are issues which the present government has come in to make the focal point of its administration. And no doubt, even since then, our relationship has been very robust.

    “Our relationship has entered the fulcrum of the Bi-National Commission and based on that, it has formed the bedrock of our relationship; the bi-national commission is the foundation, the basis of the relationship between both countries.

    “Well within the bedrock of that bi-national commission, are issues of good governance, corruption, security and others, which formed the basis of our relationship with the United States.”

    On Corruption, Balogun, who was Nigeria’s former Charge d’ Affaires in U.S., said the U.S. was quite impressed with how far Nigeria had gone in the fight against corruption under Buhari.

    “They (U.S.) really have this belief that the person of Mr President was okay to handle the issue of corruption in Nigeria and that he’s been doing well.

    “So I can definitely tell you that the United States is pleased with what we’ve been doing at that level, ditto the efforts to revive the economy,” Balogun said.

    To corroborate Balogun’s assertion, Trump, during his phone conversation with Buhari in February 2017, discussed the strong cooperation between the U.S. and Nigeria, including on shared security, economic, and governance priorities.

    Trump underscored the importance the United States places on its relationship with Nigeria, and he expressed interest in working with Buhari to expand the strong partnership.

    The leaders agreed to continue close coordination and cooperation in the fight against terrorism in Nigeria and worldwide.

    The U.S. president, particularly expressed support for the sale of aircraft from the U.S. to support Nigeria’s fight against Boko Haram.

    Trump thanked Buhari for the leadership he has exercised in Africa and emphasised the importance of a strong, secure, and prosperous Nigeria that continues to lead in the region and in international forums.

    Balogun also said Buhari’s visit would be a win-win for both countries considering Nigeria’s ability to rally Africa on any issue at the international stage, a diplomatic advantage, which U.S. desperately needs.

    “The U.S. recognises Nigeria as the leader on the continent. It shows that if they (U.S.) have to have a foothold in Africa or to do something in Africa, anything positive, they need the support of Nigeria.

    “All our activities in the troubled spots in Africa – the championed peace on the continent and even beyond the continent; we’ve always been there on peaceful missions around the world,” Balogun said.

    NAN

  • Tillerson bids farewell to U.S. State Dept

    Outgoing U.S. Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, bid farewell to officials of State Department on Friday and urged them not to lose sight of their personal integrity.

    Tillerson, whose sack was announced on March 13 by President Donald Trump, few hours after ending a five-nation tour of Africa, would step down and handover to his successor, Mike Pompeo on March 31.

    He said “I truly appreciate the opportunity to bid you a proper farewell. First, I must thank each and every one of you for the role you played in enabling the State Department to lead our foreign policy efforts and conduct steady diplomacy.”

    Taking a swipe at Washington, Tillerson said “this can be a very mean-spirited town. But you don’t have to choose to participate in that.

    “Each of us get to choose the person we want to be and the way we want to be treated and the way we will treat others.”

    He said the U.S. faced many challenges in some instances, perplexing foreign affairs relationships and in other instances serious national security threats.

    “In these times, your continued diligence and devotion to State Department’s mission has never been more necessary.

    “As you go about your duties, each of you carrying out your individual responsibilities and
    collective duties, it is my hope that you will be guided by and test your actions each day against the values that we have spoken about over this past year.

    “First, to value the safety and security of yourselves, your loved ones, and your colleagues; second, to maintain commitment to accountability by first holding yourselves accountable.

    “This is so that you’re able to hold others accountable, and that the positive environment of accountability is underpinned by honesty and integrity in all that you do.

    “Never lose sight of your most valuable asset, the most valuable asset you possess: your personal integrity. You were born with it.

    “It belongs to you, and always has and will belong to you and you alone. Only you can relinquish it or allow it to be compromised.

    “Once you’ve done so, it is very, very hard to regain it. So guard it as the most precious thing you possess.”

    Deputy Secretary John Sullivan, earlier at an event on U.S. humanitarian assistance, stressed that Tillerson would “remain as Secretary of State through the end of the month, but he’s departing the building today.”

    He said Tillerson’s work for the U.S., leading the department, his voice for peace, and for humanitarian assistance had been an inspiration.

    Read Also: Tillerson’s sack won’t affect Nigeria- U.S relations – Onyeama

  • Tillerson’s sack won’t affect Nigeria- U.S relations – Onyeama

    The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, said on Wednesday that the sack of the former United States Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, would not affect relations between Nigeria and U.S.

    Onyeama said the Federal Government expects the discussions held during Tillerson’s visit as U.S top diplomat to stand.

    U.S President, Donald Trump, sacked Tillerson on Tuesday over disagreement on America’s policies in North Korea, Russia and Iran.

    He replaced Tillerson with the CIA Director, Mike Pompeo.

    The former U.S Secretary of State visited Nigeria on the last leg of his official visit to Africa on Monday and met President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House in Abuja.

    During the meeting, the duo discussed issues of mutual interest to both countries.

    Tillerson also warned Nigeria and other countries in Africa against accessing financial help from China.

    Onyeama said: “Rex Tillerson sack won’t affect the discussions held because government is a continuum as we all know.

    “When he came, it was the United States that was speaking and clearly we expect with every expectation that everything he has said on U.S -Nigeria relations reflects the position of the U.S and reflects the position of the President of the U.S. So we don’t see any change happening.”

     

  • Africa seems oblivious whilst US sounds the alarm on China

    Former US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, visited Nigeria this week after issuing a warning about the dangers of Chinese loans to African countries. It seems rich coming from the top US envoy in the era of Donald Trump’s “America First” and considering that nearly two-third of Africans take a positive view of China in Africa according to a recent Afrobarometer survey. Tillerson’s intervention should not be lightly dismissed. The pessimistic picture he and others paint of China’s expanding footprint in Africa is admittedly a skewed one. Still, they point to well-founded concerns about some unhealthy habits underpinning Sino-Africa relations.

    Well-meaning Africans should welcome Chinese investments. Nowhere is the need more apparent than in Africa’s strategic power sector where current levels of investment significantly lag fast growing needs. Nevertheless, a closer reading of this sector also exposes how China instrumentally tailors its investments to further narrow advantages whilst ignoring inconvenient truths about sustainability and the environment. Deconstructing the Chinese-Africa “partnership” on energy offers a much-needed corrective to both the distorted lens that Beijing employs to view its own Africa role and Mr Tillerson’s thinly disguised anxiety over China’s growing influence there.

    First, it is useful to distinguish between China’s commitment of capital to the energy (upstream) and power (downstream) sectors in Africa. The latter usefully focuses on the power generation and distribution opportunities that Africa needs to upscale towards unleashing its latent productive capacities whilst capturing more of the local energy resources into domestic value chains. It contrasts with the upstream energy sector investments which primarily aim to open up resources for export to China and other global markets.

    Angola’s case is illustrative here. It attracted a miniscule share of China’s $22.3bn loan to African power projects (out of a total $34.8bn investment committed to energy as a whole since 2000). China’s investment into Angola has been predominantly through the China Sonangol “Queensway” syndicate, which is heavily focused on upstream oil extraction. In what is perhaps the most iconic of these new Chinese “partnerships” in Africa, the world’s manufacturing powerhouse and Africa’s second largest energy producer have failed to translate their growing engagement into any appreciable improvement in Angola’s manufacturing capacity. Little wonder then that the country continues to import more than 70% of its consumer goods needs, with little in the way of domestic production capacity even for the most basic of consumables.

    The second point relates to the first, and is clearly reflected in the hydro-electric bias in Chinese power investments in Nigeria, Uganda and others. Hydro is admittedly a clean source of energy, but research suggests that it is decreasingly price competitive relative to other greener sources such as solar. Hydro requires huge capital outlay, with potentially serious fiscal implications for countries taking on concessional Chinese loans that need to be repaid in future. Also, China’s significant capacity and know-how is being rolled out in Africa at a rapid pace that belies the Asian giant’s pivots to greener energy technology such as solar and fuel cells in its home market. It has in some reckoning recently overtaken the US in clean energy technology. This lends credence to those who fret that China avails Africans of power sector loans to find outlet for its own overcapacity in dam building. Typically, there is an overwhelming reliance on Chinese workers and very low absorption of African labour into most such Chinese-funded hydro projects.

    Third, with the increasing water stress such as along Africa’s Nile basin, which is stoking tension between Egypt and Ethiopia for example, critics argue that China’s dam-building activities pay scant regard to environmental impact. This mirrors the criticisms of China’s own giant Three Gorges dam and the attempts to replicate it in Africa such as through the Ethiopian Grand Renaissance dam that is also Chinese-funded. Such a major water-intensive project has the potential to provoke serious environmental challenges, not to mention the stoking of geopolitical tension with neighbours also dependent on the Nile waters.

    In Nigeria, Chinese state lenders have shown serious interest in major dam-building projects such as in the Mambilla pleateau of central Nigeria where inter-communal clashes over arable and pastoral lands led to the killing of 20 persons in just one single incident in early March 2018. China is responsible for providing 85% of the $5.8bn cost of the Mambilla hydroelectric project. It is interesting that this significant investments in Nigerian hydro schemes occur against the backdrop of China’s relative lack of success in dominating Nigeria’s oil and gas production on the same scale it has managed in Angola for instance. Beijing should show more interest in gauging externalities even whilst continuing to demonstrate strong commitments to supporting development-oriented projects across Africa. Unlike the Obama-inspired US Power Africa initiative which aims to deliver an additional 30,000 megawatt of electricity to Africa through primarily green sources (now currently championed by Mr Tillerson’s State Department), China is far from committing unequivocally to back Africa’s transition to the green energy that China itself now covets.

    The import of all of these is not to deny the potential or even the concrete benefits that China’s energy partnership can unleash in Africa, especially at a time that western backed lenders have drastically scaled down their own financial support to key projects. The real urgency is that African leaders must become less supine, pushing for a more equal relationship, and nudging current and future deals to deliver more for Africa. This should help to create local jobs even whilst working to reorient China’s overall lending so that Africa ultimately becomes more self-sufficient and primed to participate in emerging clean energy technologies. Here too, Africa has unparalleled potential from abundant sunshine to wind to the platinum required for fuel cell catalyst, etc.

    Beijing and its African partners urgently need to appreciate the folly of rehashing the west’s historical failure and parochialism in Africa. A new Africa-China orientation requires a coherent pushback by African governments against the lop-sidedness highlighted by the China sceptics such as Secretary Tillerson. He has been scathing in his assessment of China’s Africa engagement on his latest tour of African capitals. China for all its protestation will do well to heed such advice, regardless of the provenance. Unless fundamentally revamped, China’s investments as currently structured will fail disastrously to strengthen African partners or lay the foundation for local ownership and long-term sustainability. A relationship of intertwined futures and equal partnership – of the type that China trumpets – must meet these key tests at the very least.

    By: Dr Ola Bello, Executive Director, Good Governance Africa (GGA). He holds MPhil and doctoral degrees from the University of Cambridge

  • Trump sacks Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State

    …Replaces him with CIA director Mike Pompeo

    Donald Trump has sacked US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson from the White House. He has replaced him with CIA director Mike Pompeo.

    The US President confirmed the news with an early morning tweet:

    “Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service!”

    The major White House shakeup comes amid delicate negotiations ahead of an agreed face-to-face meeting between the US President and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un.

    Mr Trump asked Mr Tillerson to step aside last Friday, forcing him to cut short a trip to Africa and fly home from Nigeria, The Washington Post reported.

    Read Also: Trump’s economic adviser Cohn resigns

    In a statement issued to the newspaper, Mr Trump praised Mr Pompeo and Ms Haspel.

    “Mike graduated first in his class at West Point, served with distinction in the U.S. Army, and graduated with Honors from Harvard Law School,” he said in the statement. “He went on to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives with a proven record of working across the aisle.”

    “Gina Haspel, the Deputy Director of the CIA, will be nominated to replace Director Pompeo and she will be the CIA’s first-ever female director, a historic milestone.

    “Mike and Gina have worked together for more than a year, and have developed a great mutual respect.”

    – Telegraph UK

     

  • Video: U.S ready to coordinate Dapchi girls’ rescue – Tillerson

    The United States Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, said on Monday America is ready to coordinate efforts to rescue the school girls abducted at the Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State, by suspected Boko Haram fighters.

    He said the U.S has been supporting every effort to tackle terrorism in Nigeria.

    Tillerson was answering questions from journalists after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He said: “First, we respect the responsibilities of the government of Nigeria and the territorial integrity of Nigeria. But the way we support the fight against terrorism is by providing the troops with capability to handle equipment and also training of the personnel of special operations and sharing intelligence to ensure that they have all the information available to carry out the recovery effort.

    “But I think it is also important to put this in a broad regional context as well, Boko Haram is a threat to other regions and this has been the subject of my meetings elsewhere and in Africa as well.

    https://soundcloud.com/thenationnewspaper/sets/us-pledges-special-operations-for-safe-return-of-dapchi-girls-others

    “In my discussion with President Idris Deby in Chad earlier today, we spoke about the threat of Boko Haram and how to deal with the sect’s menace.

    “So the U.S is ready to engage and coordinate efforts as well. But we have been supporting, equipping, training and when we can provide information. I think that is the best way we have been helping the government of Nigeria secure the release of the girls, which we hope, will be done in a peaceful manner. We hope that something can be worked out and they can secure the release of these girls quickly.”

    He said the U.S is looking forward to free and fair elections in Nigeria next year.

     

  • Video: Buhari, U.S Secretary of State meet in Aso Rock

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday met behind closed doors with the United States Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The meeting started shortly after Tillerson arrived the State House at 4:03 p.m.

    The U.S Secretary of State is expected to grant press interview immediately after meeting with President Buhari.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/BgO6d3jhu_w/?hl=en&taken-by=thenationnewspaper

    The meeting was still in progress at the time of filing this report.

     

  • Kenyatta, opposition leader pledge to heal divisions

    Kenyatta, opposition leader pledge to heal divisions

    President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya called opposition leader Raila Odinga “his brother” on Friday and promised “we will begin a process of bringing our people together” after the 2017 contentious elections.

    Odinga told national television “it is time to resolve our differences,” as the two politicians made their first public appearance together since the Oct. 26 repeat presidential election in 2017.

    Newsmen reports that Kenyatta was sworn in for a second term in November after an extended election season which saw the Supreme Court nullify an August presidential poll and order a re-run in October, which Odinga boycotted.

    Months of acrimonious campaigning and sporadic clashes between government and opposition supporters blunted growth in Kenya, East Africa’s richest economy and a Western ally in a volatile region.

    Read Also:  Kenyatta is Kenya’s President, U.S. tells Odinga

    In January, Odinga took a symbolic presidential oath in a Nairobi park in a direct challenge to Kenyatta.

    The two men have defied calls from Kenyan civil society and religious leaders and Western diplomats to hold talks to overcome deep divisions opened up by the disputed elections.

    Secretary of State Rex Tillerson arrives in the Kenyan capital later on Friday, part of a seven-day visit to Africa as the U.S. seeks to bolster security alliances on a continent increasingly turning to China for aid and trade.

    NAN

     

  • U.S. lauds AU on Africa’s integration

    U.S. lauds AU on Africa’s integration

    The U.S. has lauded the African Union ( AU ) Commission for its efforts at Africa’s integration, describing it as “a force for good”.

    U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, after his meeting with Chairperson of the AU Commission, Mr Moussa Mahamat, at the Commission’s headquarters in Addis Ababa, said he was in Africa ‘to listen”

    Tillerson said “the purpose of my trip to this continent is to listen. I think it is important that we listen to what the priorities of the countries here on the continent are.

    “And see where there is good alignment between their priorities and our areas of greatest interest as well. And I think we’ve already found there are many”.

    He applauded the Africa Centres for Disease Control, saying it has been quite successful in tracking and responding to disease outbreaks on the continent adding, health security also advanced national security, economic development, and political stability.

    On trade, Tillerson said U.S. supported AU’s economic regional integration efforts to lower intra-trade barriers on the continent and boost more intra-regional trade.

    He said U.S. appreciated AU’s very strong statements on South Sudan at the recent AU summit, adding U.S. truly calls on all parties to abide by the cessation of hostilities and be open to compromise for the good of the South Sudanese people.

    Tillerson commended the AU’s Mission in Somalia, saying it is clearly an example of countries coming together to counter terrorism, promote stability, and enable delivery of much-needed aid to the Somali people.

    He also discussed ways to ensure the G5 Sahel forces have the necessary resources to continue their fight against terrorism, and how we can put in place more sustainable funding models so they have greater certainty around how to plan the future fight against terrorism in the Sahel region as well.

    Tillerson said fighting corruption was another area of common cause between Africa and U.S. adding, we’re very pleased to see that the African Union has named 2018 as the year for winning the fight against corruption.

    “From high-level secret deals to petty bribes on the street, corruption really does steal the precious resources from job creators and entrepreneurs and others who would promote benefits to the greater society and to the citizens of those countries.

    “Good governance and transparency are essential to creating the conditions for economic growth and prosperity, and we look forward to continuing our joint efforts with the African Union to improve the business environment on the continent.

    “But transparency really is an essential requirement for good business conditions and will attract greater investment and economic activity as well.

    “That includes supporting greater intra- and global-trade investments in Africa as the environment creates competitive conditions,” he stressed.

    Tillerson reiterated U.S. desire for more African nations to apply concrete diplomatic and economic pressure on North Korea, noting the global maximum pressure campaign, which has been supported by multiple UN Security Council resolutions.

    Mahamat, in his remarks, said his discussions with the U.S. envoy was fruitful, noting the visit was taking place at a time when Africa was firmly embarking on the path to integration and reform.

    “We informed him of our efforts aimed at establishing a market of more than a billion people, and to stress that a strong AU is in the interest, not only of the continent, but that of our partners also, including the U.S.

    “We have agreed to work for the strengthening of the trade and commercial relations between Africa and the U.S., including the post-AGOA – the African Growth and Opportunity Act,” he said.

    Mahamat said they also talked about some conflict situations faced by the continent, and the best way the U.S. could support the African efforts in order to promote peace and security.

    He said they underscored the importance of nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, particularly nuclear weapons, calling for the scrupulous observance and compliance with international instruments.

    He recalled the commitment of the AU to multilateralism as being the most effective tool to promote peace and prosperity.

    NAN