President Trump on Wednesday congratulated the leaders of several African nations at the United Nations for the fact that “so many” of his friends are going to their countries “trying to get rich.”

“Africa has tremendous business potential. I have so many friends going to your countries trying to get rich. I congratulate you. They're spending a lot of money. It does have that tremendous business potential and representing huge amounts of different markets and for American firms it's really become a place that they have to go, that they want to go,” Trump told the leaders, noting that “six of the world's 10 fastest-growing economies are in Africa.”

In the past, Trump has criticized the U.N., but on Thursday he noted its "great, great potential” and specifically praised the organization’s “invaluable contributions in stabilizing conflicts in Africa.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Trump’s address was made during a working luncheon on U.S.-African affairs, which Trump’s national security adviser H.R. McMaster said was organized to discuss how the U.S. can “help African nations develop their economies, address urgent challenges, and strengthen security relationships and economic relationships between our nations.”

In addition to his economic remarks, Trump also spoke about how the U.S. and African nations must partner together on counterterrorism efforts.

“Too many people are suffering from conflict in Africa, in the central African republic, the Congo, Libya, Mali, Somalia and South Sudan, among others,” Trump said. “They're going through some very very tough and some very dangerous times. … The U.S. is proud to work with you to eradicate terrorist safe havens, to cut off their finances, and to discredit their depraved ideology. And number of you have told me actually last night that we've been doing a very good job over the last six or seven months in particular.”