This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 DAR ES SALAAM 002337 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
AF FOR DON YAMAMOTO 
ALSO AF/E FOR BYODER AND AF/RSA FOR JNAY 
DRL FOR KGILBRIDE 
LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM TZ
SUBJECT: ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER'S DECEMBER 21, 2005 
CONVERSATION WITH TANZANIAN PRESIDENT JAKAYA KIKWETE 
 
REF: A. DAR ES SALAAM 02322 
 
     ¶B. DAR ES SALAAM 02321 
 
¶1. (U) December 21, 2005, 3:30 p.m., Dar es Salaam, Tanzania 
 
¶2. (U) Participants: 
 
U.S. 
Jendayi E. Frazer, Assistant Secretary for African Affairs 
Ambassador Michael Retzer 
Dr. Cindy Courville, Special Assistant to the President and 
Senior Advisor, NSC 
¶D. Purnell Delly, DCM 
Mary Johnson,  Political Counselor and Notetaker 
 
TANZANIA 
President Jakaya Kikwete 
Ambassador Cisco Mitro, Chief of Protocol, Ministry of 
Foreign Affairs (MFA) 
Ambassador Pastor Ngaiza, Director of Europe and Americas 
Division (MFA) 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) In a December 21 meeting, Tanzania,s new President, 
Jakaya Kikwete, thanked the U.S. inaugural delegation led by 
AF Assistant Secretary Jendayi Frazer for Tanzania,s 
selection as a Millennium Challenge Compact country.  He also 
expressed his appreciation for U.S. HIV/AIDS and malaria 
assistance.   In a private meeting just four hours after he 
was sworn in to a five-year term as President of Tanzania, 
Kikwete promised to work toward closer cooperation between 
our two governments including in the fight against terrorism 
and within the United Nations.  He promised that one of his 
first appointments would be a coordinator and point person 
for Tanzania,s MCA eligibility.  End summary. 
 
Support Across the Nation 
------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) President  Kikwete told  Assistant Secretary Frazer, 
NSC Africa Senior Director, Dr. Cindy Courville, and 
Ambassador Retzer that after an intensive campaign, he was 
glad the election was finally behind him.  He was 
appreciative that his mandate had crossed party lines with 
polling results showing that not only ruling CCM party 
supporters had voted for him, but members of other parties 
had selected him while still casting parliamentary and local 
councilor votes for their own parties, candidates.  "Since a 
cross-section of the population voted for me, it has created 
unity and strengthened what our new administration will be 
able to do,8 Kikwete added.  Dr. Courville replied, 
&Winning over 80 percent of the vote is very impressive; you 
have real political capital now.8 
 
¶5. (SBU) A/S Frazer conveyed President Bush,s written 
congratulations to Kikwete, saying that &We are excited 
about your presidency.  All of Africa and the world are 
looking forward to working with your new government.8  She 
noted that Tanzania is very important to President Bush both 
as an MCC country, as well as one of the 15 countries 
worldwide in the USG HIV-AIDS prevention initiative (PEPFAR) 
and one of three countries to launch the President,s Malaria 
Initiative.  A/S Frazer added: &The United States looks 
forward to deepening the relationship between our two 
countries.8 
 
Closer Ties 
----------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) Kikwete was grateful for President Bush,s 
congratulatory message stating that it was the first written 
congratulations he had received from a head of state.  (Note: 
President Kikwete,s inauguration ceremony was attended by 14 
heads of state--13 presidents and the King of Lesotho--from 
other African countries.  End note).  He assured the 
delegation that his government remains fully committed to and 
&will not waiver in the fight against terrorism.8  He also 
emphasized that the United States is &an important friend,8 
and he wants to deepen the bilateral relationship.  In 
particular, he was pleased that Tanzania had been chosen as a 
Millennium Challenge Compact country. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Kikwete stated unequivocally that his first priority 
is poverty reduction, reiterating how key MCC is to reaching 
that goal.  &The MCC is critically important for our efforts 
to raise our standard of living; we are ready to fully 
cooperate in that area.  We will also look for other 
opportunities where we can cooperate.8 Ambassador Retzer 
reminded him of the importance of appointing a coordinator 
for the MCC as soon as possible.  &Please, I have only been 
in office for a few hours!8 the new president joked.  &But 
seriously, we will do that.8 
 
New Areas of Cooperation 
------------------------ 
 
¶8. (SBU) Assistant Secretary Frazer continued that, in 
addition to ongoing programs and issues, the USG looks 
forward to working closely in the U.N. Security Council, and 
to expanding mil-to-mil cooperation between our two 
countries.  She explained that the USG goal is to cooperate 
as much as possible with Tanzania on programs that are 
allowable absent an Article 98 agreement until such an 
agreement could be signed.  She said the U.S. would continue 
to engage Tanzania on signing an Article 98 agreement. 
 
¶9. (SBU) President Kikwete explained that UN reform remains a 
priority for Tanzania, but &as I have mentioned to you in 
previous meetings, we believe it is important to give time to 
build a consensus.8  He explained that in the past &we have 
had some problems with our G-4 friends, but Tanzania and the 
other countries weathered those problems and gained 
understanding.  We will continue to follow this approach.8 
 
¶10. (SBU) Dr. Courville stated that the United States 
welcomes building a strong and open dialogue with Tanzania 
and that both the NSC and the Department look forward to 
&your coming to Washington to meet with President Bush in 
order to discuss the way forward both on the Article 98 
agreement as well as the Millennium Challenge Compact.8 
 
MCC Strategy 
------------ 
 
¶11. (SBU) Kikwete assured the delegation that one of the 
earliest decisions he will make is to appoint a person to 
head up Tanzania,s  Millennium Challenge Compact Office. 
&In early December I discussed with Ambassador Retzer what 
our government needs to do.  I intend to have my MCC team on 
the ground here before the MCC team comes from Washington to 
visit in early February.8 He stated at this point his 
preference is to place the MCC coordinating office in the 
State House, to be closer to his own office. 
 
¶12. (SBU) Ambassador Retzer suggested that President Kikwete 
might do well to send one or two persons from his MCC team to 
other countries that have made rapid progress in establishing 
an MCC compact such as Benin, Cape Verde or Madagascar. 
 
AU Presidency 
------------- 
 
¶13. (SBU) In her final point, A/S Frazer raised the USG,s 
concerns about the next AU presidency.  While conceding it 
was a sensitive subject, she shared U.S. concern with 
President Kikwete that Sudan might assume the presidency of 
the African Union, despite its complicity in Darfur.  She 
suggested that perhaps East Africa may even want to cede the 
chair to Central Africa. 
 
¶14. (SBU) President Kikwete asked the U.S. delegation to 
&trust Africa; we always finally do the right thing.8  He 
recalled that when a similar situation arose in the Southern 
Africa Development Community (SADC) and Zimbabwe was being 
considered, that Tanzania had volunteered to take the chair. 
&Although it is far too soon for me to volunteer for the 
chair, I assure you that within the AU and other regional 
organizations, Tanzania,s role is always to build bridges, 
not to break them.8 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶15. (SBU) President Kikwete was relaxed, confident, and happy 
to have finally reached his long-anticipated inauguration 
day.  It was heartening that his first point to the 
delegation was an expression of his new administration's 
determination to make progress on the Millennium Challenge 
Compact without delay, and he was clearly excited by the idea 
of an early visit to Washington next year.  Indeed, Kikwete 
welcomed a second meeting with Assistant Secretary Frazer 
(which we will report septel) in which they discussed a wide 
range of issues including Zanzibar, Museveni and Uganda,s 
presidential succession, and Ethiopia/Eritrea.  All in all, 
there was nothing in U.S. Del,s and then A/S Frazer,s own 
meetings here, particularly with President Kikwete, which did 
anything to dispel the notion that U.S.-Tanzanian relations 
stand on the threshold of a new and exciting chapter. 
 
¶16. (U) Assistant Secretary Frazer cleared this cable. 
 
DELLY