Africa
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FRANK-WALTER Steinmeier, German Foreign Affairs minister, is paying a one-day official visit to the ECOWAS Commission on Monday, October 10, 2016 in order to consolidate the growing cooperation between Germany and the ECOWAS.
In this vein, Steinmeier will be holding discussions with Marcel de Souza, president of the ECOWAS Commission specifically on advancing collaboration in the areas of peace, security and trade.
Matters of common interest covering a wide range of issues that border on human development and economic integration would be discussed during the meeting which is also being held in preparation for an upcoming German-ECOWAS summit.
According to a statement from the German embassy, the German Foreign Minister’s coming to the ECOWAS at this point in time is in furtherance of the partnership between ECOWAS and Germany to unite West African people and help the states in the region attain greater peace and stability, while reaffirming the place of democracy, human rights and good governance within the context of emerging global realities.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier has been federal minister for Foreign Affairs since 17 December 2013. He was previously the deputy Chancellor and head of federal Chancery as well as the chair of the Social-Democratic Party (SPD) parliamentary group of his country after he had been State Secretary in the Federal Chancellery and Commissioner for the Federal Intelligence Services.
Born on January 5, 1956 in Lippe District, Germany, Steinmeier was initially educated in Blomberg and proceeded to read Law and Political Science at the Justus‑Liebig‑Universität in Giessen after a military service which took place between 1974 and 1976
He was also once the head of the State Chancellery department responsible for policy guidelines and inter-ministerial coordination and planning as well as being state secretary and Head of the State Chancery of land in lower Saxony
Steinmeier held positions such as Academic assistant, Chair of Public Law and Political Science, Department of Law, Giessen University. He was also the Desk officer for media law and policy, State Chancellery of Land Lower Saxony as well as being Head of the Office of the Minister-President of Land, Lower Saxony.
This would be the second visit of Steinmeier following his earlier courtesy call on October 27, 2014.
In February this year when Joachim Guack, German president, paid a working visit to the ECOWAS Commission, he pledged continuous support for the various programmes and projects of the regional group, towards attaining the integration goals of the West African region.
Angela Merkel, German Chancellor had also paid an official visit to the ECOWAS Commission in 2011.
Steinmeier has on his delegation, senior government functionaries and ambassadors, protocol officials, security personnel as well as journalists.
— Oct 10, 2016 @ 15:50 GMT
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