28 February 2008
Amsterdam — Mozambican President Armando Guebuza reiterated on Wednesday his hope that cooperation between Mozambique and Holland can be raised to a higher level, to the benefit of the people of both countries.
"The excellent level of our bilateral cooperation leads us to believe that today, more than ever, conditions have been created to lift our friendship and relationship to new levels", said Guebuza, during a banquet offered by Dutch queen Beatrix.
Guebuza called for strengthening and diversifying bilateral cooperation, a partnership in defence of development and an inflow of Dutch private investments into Mozambique.
The ties between Holland and Mozambique are longstanding, dating back to the liberation struggle against Portuguese colonial rule, when Holland gave humanitarian and political support to the fight for independence.
Turning to the current flooding in the Zambezi valley, Guebuza declared that, just like the right to political freedom, the right not to be poor is also a universal human right.
For her part, Queen Beatrix praised the Mozambican government for the measures taken to minimise the impact of the floods since December.
She acknowledged that, despite natural disasters, and the 16 year war of destabilization, Mozambique has been recording clear advances, supported by its foreign partners, including Holland, in areas such as health, education and water supply.
The Dutch monarch also hailed the Mozambican government for improvements in good governance and strengthening of democratic structures, and she promised the continuing support of her country to these efforts.
One of high points of Guebuza's visit was the decision between the Mozambican and Dutch authorities to set up a Water Research and Management Centre in Mozambique, with the support of the Dutch government.
AIM learnt from an official source that the government is currently worried by potential water shortages, and is striving to create conditions to retain this resource to be used in periods of crises.
Mozambique wants to use its precious water resources to generate more electricity, to create reservoirs and irrigate farmland. The government also wants to take advantage of the future centre to expand the coverage of the drinking water network, including in the rural areas.
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