Merkel: Conference on Africa to Be Held in Berlin Ahead of Hamburg G20 Summit

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that three weeks before G20 summit a big conference on Africa will be held.

BERLIN (Sputnik) — A conference on Africa’s issues will be held on June 12-13 in Berlin ahead of G20 summit which is scheduled for July 7-8 in Hamburg, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said.

"Three weeks before that [G20 summit] a big conference on Africa will be held," Merkel said.

At the upcoming summit issues of immigration, free trade, climate change and digitalization are expected to be discussed.

The G20 African Partnership Initiative will be proposed to attract private investment in the regional infrastructure and employment, G20 Sherpa and Chief Economic Adviser to the German Chancellor Lars-Hendrik Roller said on Tuesday.

Countries of North Africa have been engulfed in military conflicts that caused the worst refugee crisis in Europe since the World War II. On July 25, 2016 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution, under which the period of 2016-2025 was proclaimed the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa. According to the resolution, among important steps for advancing Africa is industrialization of the region.