US President Biden says will visit Angola

Transcript

00:00 Joe Biden has said he will visit Angola in what some might think is an overdue trip to

00:06 sub-Saharan Africa.

00:08 The US president, facing a range of foreign policy challenges from Ukraine to Israel,

00:13 has drawn attention for the lack of a trip to the continent.

00:17 And that's despite what he says is Africa's importance on global issues.

00:22 But as he hosted his Angolan counterpart João Lourenço on Thursday, Biden responded to

00:27 a question about a visit, saying "I have been there and I will be back."

00:32 "Africa, one billion people, critically important how it functions for the whole world."

00:41 Biden did not, however, specify when such a trip would take place.

00:45 "In no country more important than Angola."

00:48 The White House did not respond to a request for additional details.

00:52 The two presidents were expected to discuss cooperation and investment on solar energy,

00:57 infrastructure development and space.

01:00 Those are areas where the Biden administration sees itself as locked in competition with

01:05 China, and where it has also been trying to counter Russia.