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Bundesregierung / Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged President Filipe Nyusi support in the fields of development and security
Germany and Mozambique aim to uphold their political dialogue and step up economic relations, said Chancellor Angela Merkel following a meeting with President Filipe Nyusi at the Federal Chancellery. Germany, she said, would like to help secure peace in Mozambique.
Chancellor aims to step up dialogue with Mozambique
Chancellor Angela Merkel praised the traditionally good and cordial relations between Germany and Mozambique. Today, more than 3,500 people from Mozambique live in Germany. “They are a bridge,” she stressed.
Currently, Mozambique is seeing difficult developments. In addition to an economic situation which is hampering private sector development, parts of the country are in the throes of a drought that is posing a humanitarian threat. And Mozambique is facing the challenge of armed conflict.
Expanding development cooperation
In view of the fact that 1.5 million people in Mozambique are currently threatened by hunger, Angela Merkel stressed, “We, on the German side, have stepped up humanitarian aid for Mozambique, over and above normal development cooperation.” Germany is also working with Mozambique on projects in the fields of energy, climate change and flood protection, to help regulate water resources.
Alongside the existing development cooperation in the fields of education, good governance and climate projects, the Chancellor reported that they had discussed intensifying cooperation in agriculture. University twinning arrangements are an important factor in cooperation, she said. “Alumni, who studied here in Germany and are now back in Mozambique can act as important ambassadors and help increase cooperation in the education sector too,” underlined Angela Merkel.
Development cooperation is one mainstay of German-Mozambican relations. Within the framework of bilateral development cooperation, Germany has already provided Mozambique with about one billion euros since the 1980s. The focus has been on education, vocational training, decentralisation for rural development and sustainable economic development.
Economic cooperation
President Filipe Nyusi stressed that he would like to step up bilateral cooperation in the economic sector in future. “Mozambique is a country that has a lot to offer, and Germany has a great deal of knowledge, technology, science and research. It is our priority to push ahead with development in cropping and agriculture.” In the energy and tourism sectors too, Mozambique offers great potential that must be harnessed, he declared.
The Chancellor pointed to cooperation with the private sector. The German private sector is interested in long-term, sustainable projects in Mozambique, she said, “for instance in making genuinely good use of the country’s raw materials – extracting them in line with the criteria of good mining. Major German companies are very interested in this, and in the infrastructure and electricity sectors,” she added.
Assistance in peace building
With President Nyusi, the Chancellor also discussed the resurgence of the conflict between the Mozambican government, the President, the FRELIMO party and the rival RENAMO organisation. Since all reconciliation efforts of the President have failed and armed conflict has once again flared up, “everything must be done to return to a peaceful development”. “Only a political solution will resolve the problems in Mozambique” and settle the existing conflicts, said Angela Merkel.
She reported that she had offered President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi Germany’s help in improving the opportunities for dialogue between the parties to the conflict in Mozambique, also within the European framework. For this, she added, it was very important “for me to hear directly from the President how he sees the situation and to hear that he is ready to engage in dialogue. I think that is one of the most important messages today.”
Bilateral relations between Germany and Mozambique are cordial and have been underpinned by many top-level visits. Bilateral economic relations have also developed a new dynamism in recent years. Mozambique is Germany’s fourth most important trading partner in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), after the Republic of South Africa, Angola and Namibia.
Apr 19, 2016
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