Visit of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to Senegal
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier during a joint press conference with his Senegalese counterpart Macky Sall after an audience at the Palais de la République, in Dakar, Senegal, on February 21, 2022. AFP - SEYLLOU
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The German head of state is in Senegal, accompanied by a large delegation of entrepreneurs.
This is Frank-Walter Steinmeier's first foreign visit since his recent re-election.
The President of the FRG was received in the morning by Macky Sall, an interview devoted to economic opportunities and security issues.
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With our correspondent in Dakar
,
Charlotte Idrac
"
Senegal is a strong democracy and a haven of peace in West Africa
", according to Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
It is “
a key country
”, adds the German president, who says he wants to give “
new impetus
” to relations between Dakar and Berlin.
“
We are worried about the situation in Mali, Burkina Faso or even the whole region, but this also has repercussions on the debates in Berlin about whether – and to what extent – Germany will still engage, for example within the Minusma, in Mali.
This is a matter for the German Bundestag.
And the exchanges with you, Mr.
President, with the experts that we will also be conducting tomorrow... All of this expertise will be taken into account in Germany
,” he insisted.
►Also read: Berlin has doubts about its commitment to the Sahel
For his part, President Macky Sall, currently at the head of the African Union, underlined "
the expectation vis-à-vis Germany on its participation in Mali
" and more broadly in the Sahel.
“
We are convinced that we need the German presence in Minusma.
We need the maintenance of the Minusma in Mali.
We still need European forces in Mali, including even French forces,
” said the Senegalese president.
Macky Sall also hailed “
the tolerance of the German model in terms of integrating minorities
”.
At the end of the day, Frank-Walter Steinmeier presided over the ceremony to lay the first stone of the future headquarters of the Goethe-Institut in Dakar.
On the program, Tuesday, the German president will notably visit the construction site of the future vaccine factory and will attend the inauguration ceremony of the new stadium in Senegal.
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