Germany’s Merkel hosts African leaders ahead of G20 summit

BERLIN – German Chancellor Angela Merkel is hosting a meeting with African leaders ahead of next month’s Group of 20 summit, and her government is offering funds to encourage reform on the continent.

Merkel is opening a conference titled “G-20 Africa Partnership — Investing in a Common Future” in Berlin on Monday. Guests include the presidents of Egypt and Guinea, which currently holds the African Union’s rotating presidency.

Germany is offering some 300 million euros ($335 million) to help African nations. Development Minister Gerd Mueller said ahead of the conference that his ministry wants to encourage countries “that want to take with us the road against corruption, for transparency and implementing human rights.”

Merkel will host the annual summit of the G-20 global economic powers in Hamburg in early July.