AU, US sign Memorandum of Cooperation to expand public health partnership

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat sign a Memorandum of Cooperation to expand a public health partnership between the United States and the African Union at the State Department.

Blinken and Chairperson Faki Mahamat met in Washington Friday as part of the Eighth U.S.-African Union Commission High Level Dialogue and to reinforce President Biden's commitment to Africa.

In their meeting the two dignitaries will discuss working together and through multilateral institutions like the African Union and the United Nations to face today's global challenges.

Blinken said the U.S.- A.U. partnership is vital to advancing global health security and combating COVID-19, strengthen democracy and human rights, security, climate change and building a strong and inclusive global economy.

Blinken said he looks forward to working with the A.U. chairperson to strengthen this partnership.

"The memorandum of cooperation that we about to sign supports the A.U.'s call for a new public health order for Africa," he said.

"If we can do that together and I'm convinced that we can, we will have, I think, demonstrated the force of this partnership."