Troy Fitrell, who was speaking at the opening ceremony of the 17th edition of the US-Africa Business Summit, which is taking place in Luanda until Wednesday, highlighted his personal connection with the country where he feels at home.
"I first came here 25 years ago and Angola has changed a lot. Think about what it was like 25 years ago and now you see that they are on an amazing trajectory," he said.
"Sometimes we focus on the negative and we have to look at the positive. When we look at what Angola has done in the last 25 years, it is amazing and it reflects everything that has happened on the continent. Africa is not the same place it was 25 years ago and relations are also evolving," he highlighted.
The official recalled that the US recently presented, in Abidjan, a new trade strategy for the continent, adapted to the current context. "We did this because the world has changed, the United States has changed, markets have changed, economies are very different than they were 25 years ago," he explained, justifying the change in approach to economic diplomacy.
Fitrell emphasized that US embassies must act according to results with the private sector: "Our embassies work for you, the private sector. That's where we measure our ambassadors, by how they support you. If our ambassadors are not bringing us business deals and new business opportunities and sustainable economic growth, ask them why. They should be providing us opportunities every day."
He added that the United States works closely with chambers of commerce and business leaders in a "true partnership."
As a priority, he pointed to investments in infrastructure that also include digital modernization: "We need massive investment in infrastructure. We usually think about roads, electrical grids, but we can't forget digital. We cannot participate in the modern economy without having a modern and secure digital architecture."
The American executive recalled that, at this summit, the US brought "almost a thousand businesspeople" and that the focus on trade missions will continue to bring more American companies to do business in Africa.
He also highlighted the role of government agencies and other institutions such as the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), the US development finance institution, EximBank and the Department of Commerce, which must also act more quickly.
Fitrell concluded by reinforcing that the "American-style" business model is beneficial and useful for Africa, noting that it is focused on technology, innovation and the workforce. "Investing in human capital is the American way of doing business. We have a common goal and we are together. This is a great opportunity — we will do business this week and for years to come," he reinforced.
