Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has called for the creation of a joint European Union and Africa COVID-19 response mechanism.
Kenyatta made the remarks on Thursday at a virtual conference of European and African leaders on the proposed establishment of the Africa-Mediterranean-Europe (AME) Foundation.
He noted that the join EU-Africa response strategy would bolster the two regions’ fight against the disease as well as better prepare them for any future crises.
Championed by the Former President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, the AME Foundation is aimed at enhancing development discourse and interactions between Africa, the Mediterranean and Europe.
“The Foundation will complement the existing Africa-European continental cooperation in addressing the emerging global challenges,” President Kenyatta said.
The virtual conference came at a time when the number of COVID-19 cases in Africa have surpassed 667,000 with a death toll exceeding 14,300.
The global tallies stand at over 13.8 million infections and over 590,400 fatalities.
Other than President Kenyatta, the virtual conference was also attended by President Macky Sall (Senegal), President Issoufou Mahamadou (Niger), President Mohamed Ould Ghazouni (Mauritania) and President Roch Mach Kabore (Burkina Faso).
