Montreal, July 15, 2019 – Quebec’s Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie will attend the business gathering, whose next edition will be held September 4 and 5, 2019 at the Centre Sheraton in Montreal. The biennial event attracts more than 500 African and Canadian investors, entrepreneurs and decision makers, who use the platform to forge partnerships and discuss business opportunities in Africa.
Minister Girault’s participation is hardly surprising, given she made the following statement when she attended the forum L’Afrique à l’horizon 2063 : vision, perspectives et occasions d’un continent émergent during the 2019 Conference of Montreal: “We are witnessing a revolution in how international relations between Quebec and Africa are conducted. The Government of Quebec will use the tools at its disposal in the area of solidarity and cooperation to build a multisectoral link between Quebec and Africa based on affinities and partnerships, notably in fields such as education, youth and the economy. Indeed, African youth represent the future of the French-speaking world: of the 500 million French speakers in the world by 2048, 60% of them will be in Africa. If Quebec intends to play a leadership role within the French-speaking sphere, it cannot ignore Africa, its challenges, its issues and also its opportunities. Because of the natural connection between Quebec and Africa, we must now look toward the networks and mobility of our young generation.”
Minister Girault will participate in a panel organized in collaboration with her ministry and dedicated to entrepreneurship among African youth and women.
About Forum Afrique Expansion
Forum Afrique Expansion is an event held in Montreal since 2003 with support from the governments of Canada and Quebec. Its main goal is to offer tools and innovative approaches for boosting private-sector investment and partnerships between Africa and Canada by hosting, in Canada, investors, project bearers, heads of businesses, representatives of organizations and government officials from 20 African countries. Known for fostering productive partnerships between participants, Forum Afrique Expansion also enables Canadian businesses to get up to date on the political situation, business climate and business opportunities in certain African countries, as well as on project financing.
