22 January 2008
Maputo — The Mozambican and Chinese Ministers of Science and Technology, Venancio Massingue and Wan Gang, on Monday signed an agreement to step up cooperation in scientific and technological matters.
Under the agreement, signed at the end of Wan's two day visit to Mozambique, China will help Mozambique train staff in the area of science and technology, boost the transfer of agricultural technology, and promote innovation as a fundamental condition for accelerated development.
Wan told Massingue "everything is difficult at the beginning, but with joint efforts we can attain the planned objectives".
To implement the agreement, joint committees formed by the two countries will meet every year to assess progress, and set guidelines for the coming period.
Massingue thanked China for its solidarity and declared "Our struggle is for sustainable development and the weapons we need are the technological skills to transform production and to add value to our raw materials, generating services and products that increase our country's GDP".
The agreement also envisages the establishment of a centre for research into transmissible diseases, and twinning arrangement between regional science and technology centres.
China is already committed to supporting an agricultural research and technology transfer centre at Umbeluzi and a Technology Park in Moamba, both in Maputo province. These are large scale projects, with a total cost of 700 million US dollars.
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