Biden and Kenyan President Ruto urge global leaders to help lessen developing nations’ crushing debt

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden and Kenyan President William Ruto are using the first state visit to the United States by an African leader in more than 15 years to call on economies around the globe to take action to reduce the enormous debt burden crushing Kenya and other developing nations.

The call to action, dubbed the Nairobi-Washington Vision, comes as Biden presses his appeal to African nations that the U.S. can be a better partner than economic rival China. Beijing has been deepening its investment on the continent — often with high-interest loans and other difficult financing terms.

Biden and Ruto want creditor nations to reduce financing barriers for developing nations that have been constrained by high debt burdens. They also call on international financial institutions to coordinate debt relief and support through multilateral banks and institutions providing better financing terms.

“Together we will call to the international community to come together around these elements to support high-ambition countries with high-ambition financial support,” the White House said in a fact sheet detailing the effort.