The Africa-France summit, which was to be held in early July in Montpellier, southern France, has been pushed back to early October because travel constraints linked to the Covid-19 epidemic will be “insufficiently lifted this summer”, the town hall announced earlier this this week.

The health crisis had already forced the Élysée to cancel last year’s Africa-France summit planned in Bordeaux. This time, the Covid-19 travel restrictions led the presidential palace to postpone the event.

“The travel constraints set at the international level will be insufficiently lifted this summer to allow the arrival of hundreds of guests from the African continent. Without their massive presence, the event would lose much of its meaning,” wrote Montpellier town hall in a statement.

The event, planned from 8 to 10 July, will now take place from 7 to 9 October 2021, the French presidency confirmed.

“These dates should allow the organization of this important summit for our country and our territory in an ambitious format,” the statement added.