The White House announced Friday that President Barack Obama with travel to Ethiopia late next month, the first sitting U.S. President to do so.
While in Ethiopia, Obama will participate in bilateral meetings with the Governments of Ethiopia and with the leadership of the African Union
This visit “will build on the success of the August 2014 U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit by strengthening ties with our African partners and highlighting America’s longstanding commitment to investing in Africa,” said Press Secretary Josh Earnest in a statement.
President Obama will also be the first sitting U.S. President to visit the African Union headquarters.
In late July, Obama will travel to his father’s native country, Kenya, before he heads to Ethiopia — for bilateral meetings and the 2015 Global Entrepreneurship Summit — an annual conference that aims to connect entrepreneurs with various organizations, governments and business leaders. This trip will be Obama’s first trip as President to Kenya.
This summer’s trip will be the President’s fourth visit to Africa. He was last there in December 2013 attending the funeral of Nelson Mandela.