30 August 2002
Maputo — The visit by British Prime Minister Tony Blair to Mozambique this weekend "is a reaffirmation of the excellent relations of collaboration" between the two countries, Foreign Minister Leonardo Simao told AIM on Friday.
Simao praised the Blair government, not only for its programmes of bilateral cooperation with Mozambique, but also for its encouragement of British investment.
He noted that the main shareholder in the MOZAL aluminium smelter, on the outskirts of Maputo, which is currently undergoing massive expansion, is a British-based company (Billiton), and that the consortium managing the port of Maputo is headed by the British Mersey Docks and Harbour Company.
However, Mersey Docks has not yet signed the definitive 15 year lease on the port. Simao blamed this delay on the complex negotiations under way for leasing out the railway lines from South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe that feed the port.
The railway and port leases are inter-connected, and one will not be signed without the other. Simao was optimistic that negotiations were almost concluded, and that the lease on the port "will soon be signed".
Simao hoped that the Blair visit would provide "another incentive to look at Mozambique as a destination for investment.
This should draw the attention of British businesses to Mozambique".
Blair is scheduled to visit the country's second city, Beira, on Sunday. The main stress here will be on health: Simao told AIM that Blair will visit Beira Central Hospital, and a health unit in Dondo, 30 kilometres west of Beira, which is deeply involved in the struggle against malaria and AIDS.
"Our idea is to show the British prime minister something of the country outside of the capital", said Simao.
He denied a claim in Friday's issue of the pro-government Zimbabwean paper "The Herald", according to which Blair will meet members of the Zimbabwean opposition and white commercial farmers in Beira.
"The programme of the Prime Minister is the result of our joint work, and it includes no meetings with any groups, either Mozambican or foreign", said Simao.
The "Herald" also suggested that Blair's visit was a riposte to Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano's Friday visit to Harare, where he inaugurated an agricultural fair.
"One thing has nothing to do with the other", said Simao.
"The two programmes are completely independent".
The timing was a mere coincidence: Blair will attend the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, and is simply visiting Mozambique en route. "It's usual for politicians to take these opportunities", said Simao. "We also do it when we go to international conferences".
Nor was there anything unusual about Chissano's visit to Harare. This was the third fair in the SADC region that Chissano has attended so far this year, Simao pointed out (the others were in Zambia and Malawi).
Simao said that Blair and Chissano will discuss regional issues during their Friday talks, as well as general political issues such as the threat of terrorism. He also expected the two leaders to reaffirm their commitment to sustainable development in the light of the Johannesburg summit.
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