Updated: March 4, 2021
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Energy Resources, Francis R. Fannon, will visit Sub-Saharan Africa from November 2 to 9, including South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana, the State Department announced on Friday.
It would be Assistant Secretary Fannon’s first visit to Sub-Saharan Africa as the Department of State’s highest-ranking energy diplomat.
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“The purpose of his trip is to reaffirm sustained partnerships in energy security and energy resources,” the Department said, adding that Assistant Secretary Fannon will engage with government, business, and civil society to discuss equitable regulatory environments in hydrocarbon production and sustainable energy minerals development.
“This trip further integrates the whole-of-government approach to support African energy security and to increase U.S.-Africa trade and investment, along with Prosper Africa and Power Africa.
“This trip serves as a groundbreaking opportunity to advance new potential partnerships forged at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York in September, where the United States launched the Energy Resources Governance Initiative (ERGI),” the Department added.
ERGI is an international initiative to develop best practices for sustainable mineral development underpinning clean energy technology.
The Department said “from November 2-6, Assistant Secretary Fannon will be in Cape Town, South Africa, where he will deliver a keynote address at the Africa Oil Week conference, attended by numerous African energy stake holding nations.
“From November 6-7, Assistant Secretary Fannon will be in Windhoek, Namibia, to support government-to-government relationships on energy and mines. He will conclude his Sub-Saharan Africa trip in Gaborone, Botswana, November 7-9, where he will reaffirm Botswana’s founding partnership on ERGI”.
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