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Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC May 11, 2016 Array Deputy Secretary Antony Blinken will travel to Abuja, Nigeria, May 12—14, to lead the U.S. delegation to the second Regional Security Summit and for bilateral meetings. The Deputy Secretary will be joined in Abuja by Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Linda Thomas-Greenfield and Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism Justin Siberell. At the Regional Security Summit, the Deputy Secretary will deliver the U.S. national statement and meet with senior leaders to discuss efforts to support Nigeria and the other Lake Chad Basin countries in the fight against Boko Haram. Participation is expected to include heads of state from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, and France. The Deputy Secretary will also review with Nigerian leaders progress on commitments made during the March 30, 2016 Binational Commission meeting in Washington. Finally, the Deputy Secretary will meet with innovators and entrepreneurs to discuss how transformations in science and technology in West Africa can shape and promote the advancement of economic opportunity through innovation, and with civil society leaders to discuss the ongoing fight against corruption. Be sure to follow the Deputy Secretary on Instagram and Twitter (both @ABlinken), the Department of State Flickr, and @StateAfrica on Twitter for more updates throughout his trip.
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