2 November 2008
Copenhagen — Denmark will continue to cooperate with the Mozambican government in the coming years, by making resources available for poverty alleviation and job creations.
This guarantee was given on Friday in Copenhagen by Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, after a meeting with Mozambican President Armando Guebuza who is on a three day working visit to Denmark.
Rasmussen said that the results of development aid channelled to Mozambique are very clear. "I am impressed with Mozambique's development, with the progress that the country has made, and with the significant economic growth rates achieved", said Rasmussen. "Mozambique is one of our main partners in Africa, and Denmark intends to continue this partnership in the coming years".
Despite rumours appearing in some of the Mozambican press that Denmark intends to reduce its support to Mozambique due to concerns over corruption (as Sweden has done), Rasmussen made it clear that support would continue. He did not give figures - but when Danish Finance Minister Lars Rasmussen visited Maputo in august, he spoke of a modest increase in Danish aid over the next three years.
Speaking to reporters after his meeting with Guebuza, the Prime Minister said Denmark is satisfied with the policies followed by the Mozambican government, and believed that the resources channeled to Mozambique will be properly used.
"We are confident that the funds we send to Mozambique are used efficiently", he declared.
Rasmussen said that the most effective ways of combatting poverty, in Mozambique and in Africa in general, are through continued high rates of growth, the development of the private sector and job creation. He added that the Danish government has set up an "Africa Commission" with the task of drawing up concrete proposals for stimulating economic growth and employment in Africa in the coming years.
For his part, Guebuza stressed that the political relations between the two countries are excellent. "Our cooperation relations are very good, and we are the second largest beneficiary of Danish assistance", he said. "But one thing is missing, which is greater involvement by the Danish private sector in the development of Mozambique. There are some Danish companies working in Mozambique, but we believe they could do more, and that other companies could come to Mozambique".
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