German
Chancellor, Angela Merkel, is expected to visit three West African countries, Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria also included.
Angela Merkel who will be accompanied
by an economic delegation, will be discussing migration politics and her
campaign to tackle the causes resulting in a stream of refugees to Europe
during her visit to the West African countries.
Deputy Government
Spokeswoman, Ulrike Demmer who confirmed the visit on Friday in Berlin,
disclosed that on Wednesday afternoon the German Chancellor will be meeting
Senegalese President, Macky Sall to discuss economic developments in the
country and regional cooperation.
In the evening she will
meet with civil society representatives. Then it’s onto the Ghanaian capital of
Accra to meet President, Nana Akufo-Addo, on Thursday to discuss economic
affairs and foreign policy.
The chancellor is also to
take part in a German business-organised round table that will focus on private
investment linked to the G20 “Compact with Africa” initiative. Finally, Merkel
is to head to Nigeria on Friday to meet with the president of the ECOWAS
economic alliance of West African states, Jean-Claude Brou. NAN reported that
she will hold talks with Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari.
Recall that on October 7,
2016 Merkel visited three African countries before hosting leaders from Chad
and Nigeria for talks in Berlin, as she seeks ways to stem a migrant influx to
Europe. Merkel first travelled to Mali and Nigeria before heading to Ethiopia
where she is to visit the headquarters of the African Union in the capital,
Addis Ababa.
Angela Merkel’s visit to
the West African countries is coming after she announced that Georgia would be
labelled a safe country of origin, making it easier for Germany to send back
rejected asylum-seekers. The comments came at the start of her visit to three
ex-Soviet Union republics.
Merkel noted that since the
European Union liberalized visas for Georgians, Germany has seen a rise in the
number of asylum applicants from the country. The decision to label Georgia as
a safe country of origin would make it harder for Georgian asylum-seekers to be
recognized as refugees in Germany. It also makes it easier for Berlin to return
rejected asylum-applicants.
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