On April 26, 2016, Roncevert Almond, Partner at The Wicks Group (TWG), participated in the East Africa Airports Modernization and Security Reverse Trade Mission in Washington, D.C., hosted by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). In addition to sessions held in Washington, DC, the East African delegates will participate in meetings in Miami, Florida and Atlanta, Georgia.
The two-week trade mission brings together senior public and private sector officials from East African countries to discuss best practices and resources available in the areas of airport development, operations, and security. The delegations from East Africa includes senior officials from the transport ministries, civil aviation authorities and airports authorities of Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania.
On Tuesday, Director of USTDA Leocadia I. Zak and White House Director for African Affairs on the National Security Council Marti Flacks opened the proceedings with remarks on the importance of East Africa to the United States and its strategic goals in the region, particularly regarding trade and security. Ms. Lida Fitts, USTDA’s Acting Regional Director, Sub-Sharan Africa, highlighted the importance of aviation in particular to U.S. policy in East Africa.
Diplomatic representatives from the U.S. Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, then moderated panels with the East African delegates concerning economic and trade opportunities available to U.S. businesses in their respective countries. The reverse trade mission also covered the issue of financing of aviation projects in East Africa. Senior representatives from the U.S. Export Import Bank, the Overseas Investment Corporation, the Institute for Public Private Partnerships, and Parsons Brinckerhoff, a leading engineering firm.
During the sessions, Mr. Almond engaged with the delegations from East Africa on issues of civil aviation development, particularly in light of the shared objective to expand aviation ties between East African and the United States.
“East Africa has a long-been a critical hub for aviation activity on the continent,” Mr. Almond explained, “And even in this challenging economic environment, following the collapse of the global commodities market, East Africa continues to be a source of strength and a platform for connecting Africans with each other and connecting Africa to the world.”
Mr. Almond stressed that for East Africa to fully realize its potential, the countries must have the political will necessary to establish a sustainable infrastructure – in terms of regulatory, human and technical capacity – to foster long-term growth and development.
TWG is a multi-disciplinary legal and consulting firm that provides specialized services to clients with aviation and transportation-related interests world-wide. TWG advises countries across the globe on achieving their civil aviation development objectives, whether achieving compliance with standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) or establishing international best practices to foster economic growth.
As part of its international work on the African continent, The Wicks Group is proud to announce that Founder and Managing Director Glenn Wicks will host this June’s Africa Air Cargo Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. For more information about TWG’s participation in the upcoming Africa Air Cargo Summit, the East African reverse trade mission, or the firm’s civil aviation development services, please contact Roncevert Almond (ralmond@wicks-group.com).