Travel Diary: Briefing En Route Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Posted by DipNote Bloggers / June 12, 2011

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Senior State Department officials held a background briefing en route Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on June 11, 2011. The officials addressed the goals of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's travel to Africa and previewed the upcoming stops on the trip. The first official said:

"The Secretary's trip is designed to do essentially four things. One is to underscore the continued U.S. commitment to Africa's sustained and long-term economic development through AGOA, which we just completed, MCC, Feed the Future, the Global Health Initiative, and the Partnership for Growth.

"The second objective is to highlight the role of civil society as an engine for advancing democratic governance and sustained economic growth, drawing special attention to women, youth, and the importance of entrepreneurs and the business community.

"The third thing we're trying to do is to showcase U.S. bilateral initiatives with a special emphasis on health, something that we did just an hour or two ago with the Secretary opening a Centre for Excellence in Lusaka.

"And the fourth thing that we're trying to do is emphasize the key role and function of regional bodies such as the African Union, the East African Community, and the role that those institutions can play in helping Africa to resolve some of its political problems as well as deal with some of its economic challenges.

"In all three of the countries being visited, we will also have an opportunity to showcase many of our effective and successful development assistant projects. We will also be engaging with civil society, particularly women, students, and young entrepreneurs. And we will also be stressing the need for strong democratic institutions, good governance. And that means also the fight against corruption.

"In two of the countries that we're visiting, Tanzania and Zambia, we have countries which are committed to strong democratic principles. And in Ethiopia, the third country that we're visiting, we will continue to encourage that government to strengthen its democratic institutions and to open political space for the opposition.

"In Tanzania over the next 36 hours, the Secretary will have an opportunity to showcase the Feed the Future Program, the Global Health Initiative, and to spotlight our relationship with one of our strongest partners in Africa. As many of you know, Tanzania is a very successful and emerging democracy and is a strong development partner. We have the whole of our development programs at work there: MCC with its largest compact at $690 million; we have a Feed the Future Program; we have a Global Health Program; and a strong partnership on PEPFAR, a strong USAID program. And it is one of four countries and one of two African countries which are a part of our Partnership for Growth Program. We look forward to that stop.

"And let me just say in Addis Ababa we will be meeting with the prime minister of that country, Prime Minister Meles, who has been a strong partner in regional security efforts. We will also be meeting with Jean Ping, the head of the African Union. The Secretary will be giving a major speech at the African Union on Tuesday morning, and she will also have an opportunity to meet with key members of the Government of South Sudan."

You can read the full transcript of the briefing here.

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