OREANDA-NEWS  UK-Africa relations were celebrated at an event at Lancaster House this week when Minister for Africa Rory Stewart met with African diplomats and leading diaspora figures.

This was the first meeting between the Minister and many of the London-based African diplomats since his appointment as Minister for Africa for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development in June.

Countries from across the continent were represented, along with members of African diaspora in the UK, marking the start of regular dialogues between the Minister and African representatives.

Africa Minister Rory Stewart said:

The UK has an extraordinary and unique partnership with Africa and we want to build on this partnership over the years ahead. All my recent trips to Africa have shown me how exciting the continent is today - how much potential it has in the future.

Brexit should be our moment to rebuild and invest in these partnerships in Africa. Africa will be at the heart of the greatest challenges and opportunities of the next half century. And I look forward to us working more closely together and learning ever more from each other.

Since his appointment in June the Minister has visited nine countries in Africa, including: Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi and plans several more trips before the end of 2017.