First stone laid for new US embassy in Maputo

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First stone laid for new US embassy in Maputo

5:28 CAT | 15 Dec 2016

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The American ambassador, Dean Pittman, on Wednesday laid the first stone for building of a new United States embassy in Maputo, which will cost the US government about 253 million dollars.

The new embassy is on the Maputo coast road, on the site once occupied by the derelict Four Seasons hotel. This hotel was left unfinished at the time of Mozambican independence in 1975. There were several attempts to finish, or convert it, none of which came to fruition. It remained a gigantic eyesore until it was demolished in 2007.

The new US embassy will be an isolated building, and its closest neighbor will be the Polana Casino, the only casino in Maputo.

According to Pittman, the construction of the embassy complex will provide jobs for about 130 Mozambican workers. He expected the job, which has been planned for almost a decade, to be complete in 2019.

“This new embassy will be a symbol for present and future generations of the strong and growing relations between the United States and Mozambique”, said the ambassador. “It will remind all of us of the lasting friendship we have maintained for more than 40 years and will motivate us to continue developing our international partnership”.

“At moments when our nations are prospering, and at moments when one or both are facing serious challenges, this impressive structure will always be a strong reminder of the longevity of our commitment to a close and long term bilateral relationship”, he added.

“Today’s ceremony literally cements our confidence in the potential of Mozambique as a leader on the African continent and in the world community”, said Pittman. “This new embassy is an American investment in our relation with Mozambique, an investment in the people of Mozambique, an investment in the economy of Mozambique – an investment that we know will stand the test of time”.
Mozambican Foreign Minister Oldemiro Baloi stressed the excellent relations between the US and Mozambique, and reiterated the Mozambican government’s commitment to maximising the exisitng potential and consolidating a partnrship for mutual gain in the political, diplomatic, economic, social and cultural fields.

Baloi added that a more active and visible presence of the US in Mozambique will symbolise the determination to follow “a relationship of mutual respect and permanent dialogue”.

Noting the “constructive spirit” shown by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in its talks with the government earlier this month, Baloi urged other cooperation partners, including the US “to take advantage of this moment of hope to work with our country with a view to the full resumption of financial flows on a mutually advantageous basis, respecting the principle of transparency and accountability”.

The IMF, followed by other western donors and funding agencies, including the US, suspended their financial cooperation with Mozambique in April, following the discovery of previously undisclosed government-guaranteed loans well in excess of a billion dollars.

The new embassy has been designed by two American architectural firms, Yost Grube Hall Architecture and Allied Works Architectures, and the contractor is also a US company, the Pernix Group of Lombard, Illinois.

Source: AIM