Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian is in Senegal today for the seventh edition of the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa, focusing this year on challenges to stability and Africa's role as a key actor in the post-Covid world.
The Minister will be hosted by Senegalese President Macky Sall. They will discuss all regional stability and security challenges and major issues relating to the partnership between Senegal and France. The Minister and the Senegalese President will also examine preparations for the upcoming EU-AU summit in February 2022, with France and Senegal assuming the presidencies of the European Union and the African Union in a few weeks.
The Minister will also meet with his counterpart Aïssata Tall Sall, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Abroad. They will sign an agreement relating to the National Cybersecurity School located in Dakar and serving the entire region. This school is designed to bolster Senegal's position in the cybersecurity sector by establishing a national digital hub assisting West Africa and the entire African continent.
The minister visited the Pasteur Institute in Dakar to tour its future production facility for Covid-19 vaccines and to mark France's support for strengthening African autonomy in the area of health and vaccines by developing local production capabilities. France has already allocated nearly ?2 million for that purpose.
Lastly, the Minister attended the first local Development Council aimed at strengthening oversight of France's activities in light of the fact that the country is the leading bilateral provider of official development assistance to Senegal, in accordance with the goals of the planning law relating to solidarity-based development and the fight against global inequalities, adopted on August 4.