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Joe Biden will travel to Angola next month in his first and probably only visit to Africa as president, also stopping off in Germany as he shores up US alliances in his final months in office.
Biden had previously pledged to visit Africa in 2023 as Washington competes with Beijing and Moscow for influence on the continent, but never got around to it.
The October 10-15 trip will take Biden out of the country in the heat of the US election campaign between his Democratic successor Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump.
Biden will first visit Germany to “further strengthen the close bond the United States and Germany share as allies and friends,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
The US president will thank key NATO ally Germany for “supporting Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression” and for hosting US troops for decades, she said.
Biden will then travel to Luanda in oil-rich Angola from October 13 to 15 to meet with President Joao Lourenco.
They will discuss issues including economic partnership, a trans-African rail network, climate and security, the White House said.
“The president’s visit to Luanda celebrates the evolution of the US-Angola relationship” and “underscores the United States’ continued commitment to African partners,” Jean-Pierre said.
Biden’s jaunt comes as the world watches for Donald Trump’s possible comeback to the White House, after a first term in which the Republican called many US alliances into question.
Trump was notably harsh on Germany while in office, ordering the withdrawal of thousands of US troops stationed there and accusing Berlin of failing to pay its way on military spending.
Biden’s administration reversed the cuts, seeing Germany as a linchpin in NATO’s defense of Eastern Europe, especially after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
A top White House official had said on Monday that Biden would be traveling abroad as he seeks to build his legacy in his last four months in the Oval Office.
“The president will travel internationally as he continues to strengthen our alliances and partnerships on the world stage, which has been a top priority for him as president having restored American leadership on the world stage,” communications director Ben LaBolt said in a memo to staff Monday.
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