Yes, potentially it could be a key conference for AVZ's aspirations. The federal government is represented by Tim Watts, assistant minister for Foreign Affairs who also attended in 2023.
A couple of quotes from his opening speech to the conference last year:
"I was the first Australian minister to meet with delegations to the African Union Summit in half a decade.
During this engagement, and in others since, we have reinforced our belief in a rules-based international system…
…a system that benefits all countries, leaves no country behind and ensures large countries do not dominate over smaller ones....
The Australian government has not always engaged with Africans as deeply or as knowledgeably as we could have.
We are working to change that.
We are listening to African diaspora in our communities across Australia and to our African counterparts internationally
…and we are committed to working with you to achieve stronger relationships with Africa and African countries.
Relationships which will underpin a world of peace and prosperity…
…with a future where sovereignty is respected and no country dominates over another."
Bloke makes the right noises, including on critical minerals, but does he walk the walk. He should be asked what DFAT has achieved in Africa in the last 12 months and has he heard of AVZ? If so, does the government actually care?
