Johnson Earmarks UK As Africa's 'Partner Of Choice' For Trade, Investments Post-Brexit

LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 21st January, 2020) UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday, speaking at the inaugural UK-Africa Investment Summit in London, that his country has all it takes to become Africa's partner of choice for doing business in the future where London will no longer be part of the European Union.

"Wherever I went in Africa I found a lot of ... affection for the UK, even a lot of love. But I also realized that we in the UK have a vital job in continuing to convince people across the continent that we are not just a great friend and reliable ally, but also the people you should be doing business with," Johnson said in his address at the summit.

"The UK has no divine right to that business," he continued, pointing to the competitiveness coming from other countries, including China, Russia, Germany, and France. "But look today at what we have to offer. Look around the world today and you will swiftly see that the UK is not only the obvious partner of choice, we're also very much the partner of today, of tomorrow and decades to come."

Johnson paid due attention to the rate of Africa's economic growth, describing it as "quite staggering." He specifically highlighted that more than half of the world's 15 fastest growing economies are in Africa and that two-thirds of African economies are expanding faster than the global average.

"Africa is the future, and the UK has a huge and active role to play in that future. And I hope you agree. Because we are and we will be a partner � your partner � through thick and thin," Johnson said.

The UK government has designed the summit to popularize opportunities in the African continent among British investors and give a boost to the country-to-continent format of business cooperation, something that a number of other countries had done earlier.

Most recently, the Russian city of Sochi hosted the first Russia-Africa economic summit and forum in October of last year. China and Germany held analogous events in September 2018 and June 2019, respectively, while France is preparing to host one in coming June.