Diplomacy

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WATCH: Togo FM Invites Netanyahu to Summit With 25 African Leaders

by TheTower.org Staff |

Robert Dussey, the foreign minister of Togo, on Monday invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to an African-Israeli summit on development and security in October. Dussey estimated that 20-25 national leaders will participate in the conference, which Netanyahu agreed to attend.

“I want you to know how glad we are that we are strengthening even further the relations between Togo and Israel,” Netanyahu told the African diplomat in a joint appearance in Jerusalem.

“You know our big thrust of coming back to Africa, but you were always there, and for us, very important not only our relations in East Africa, but also in West Africa. So I look forward to having the opportunity to visit West Africa – visit with you and the president and others because we are absolutely committed to having this resurging relationship between Africa and Israel,” he added.

Dussey, who is currently on his second visit to Israel in less than a year, expressed his appreciation to the prime minister, saying, “I come back to your beautiful country Israel, particularly Jerusalem.”

“I’m very happy because I would like to invite you to Lomé, the capital of Togo, to attend the African and Israel high technology and security summit next October, in Lomé,” he added. “You were in East Africa. We don’t want to give you only West Africa. We want to give you all African countries.”

Last year, Netanyahu paid a historic visit to Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia. Israel’s expanding diplomatic ties to Africa have included restoring relations with the Muslim-majority nation of Guinea in July, a summit with 15 African heads of state and ambassadors at the United Nations in September, a visit by African diplomats to the Old City of Jerusalem in November, and an agricultural summit for African ministers hosted by Israel in December.

“Israel is coming back to Africa; Africa is coming back to Israel,” Netanyahu said in March. “It’s happening in a big way. It’s happening now, but it should have happened a long time ago. It’s happening now because it’s so clear that this is good for Africa and it’s good for Israel. We face a multitude of challenges and opportunities.”

[Photo: IsraeliPM / YouTube ]

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