VZCZCXRO2077
RR RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHJO RUEHMR RUEHRN
DE RUEHTO #0323/01 1091659
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 181659Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY MAPUTO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8760
INFO RUCNSAD/SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0145

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MAPUTO 000323 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON ETRD KDEM AMGT EAID MZ
SUBJECT: NEW FOREIGN MINISTER--"DUTY TO STRENGTHEN 
BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP" 
 
REF: A. A. MAPUTO 321 
     ¶B. B. MAPUTO 220 
     ¶C. C. MAPUTO 241 
 
 ¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY: In an introductory call by the Charge, 
new Foreign Minister Oldemiro Baloi discussed Zimbabwe (ref 
A) and indicated his support for greater bilateral political 
and economic dialogue with the USG.  Baloi urged for better 
coordination in-country among international donors.  He 
expressed interest in resolving certain administrative issues 
involving the Foreign Ministry and in signing a bilateral 
agreement encompassing all USG assistance. FM Baloi appears 
to be an engaged manager who will be an agent for positive 
change at the Foreign Ministry;  we will have opportunities 
with him which we did not have with his uncommunicative 
predecessor.  END SUMMARY. 
 
--------------------------------------------- - 
"Duty to Make Bilateral Relationship Stronger" 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶2. (U) The Charge d'Affaires, USAID Director, and P/E Chief 
met with Mozambican Foreign Minister Oldemiro Baloi on April 
¶15.  The Charge opened noting that the bilateral relationship 
was strong and encompassed many areas, as reflected by the 
more than $325 million in bilateral assistance budgeted for 
Mozambique in 2008.  He pointed to the successful visits in 
the past nine months of First Lady Laura Bush, Health and 
Human Services (HHS) Secretary Michael Leavitt, Ambassador 
John Danilovich from the Millennium Challenge Corporation and 
other USG officials, plus the several visits by Mozambique,s 
President Armando Guebuza and many Ministers to the United 
States in the same period.  The FM said that the United 
States was a 'privileged partner' of Mozambique, and held an 
'elevated position' for the GRM.  He said that he took it as 
his "personal duty to ensure that this bilateral 
relationship in particular became even stronger." 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
Increasing Political/Economic Bilateral Dialogue 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) The Charge urged Baloi to have the GRM take a 
stronger leadership role on continental issues and in 
international fora, including on issues like Zimbabwe (ref A) 
and international peace-keeping operations.  He said that the 
previous FM had agreed to begin a more regular bilateral 
dialogue (ref B) to include political and economic topics 
like human rights or re-energizing the existing trade and 
investment framework agreement (TIFA).  The Charge also 
referred to the positive meeting between AF A/S Jendayi 
Frazer and Mozambican Ambassador Panguene that reinforced 
this point.  The FM agreed, noting that in his private sector 
experience, business operations were 'results oriented' and 
that the same concept needed to be applied to the Foreign 
Ministry's initiatives, including the GRM,s programs with 
the USG. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
Bilateral Assistance Agreement; Other Admin Issues 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶4.  (U) The Charge indicated the Embassy,s difficulties with 
certain administrative issues involving the Foreign Ministry. 
 The USAID Director highlighted the increased USG assistance 
to Mozambique and noted the increase in the number of USG 
staff and contractors involved in implementation.  In light 
of these twin factors, the USAID Director urged the FM to 
consider moving forward on a bilateral assistance agreement 
to cover all the USG's programs in Mozambique, ranging from 
issues of licensing, to taxes and visa issues.  The FM agreed 
saying that he had made it very clear to his staff that he 
wanted them to clear these types of administrative hurdles 
out of the way soonest, so that the Ministry could then begin 
to focus on its 'core business' of diplomacy more effectively. 
 
-------------------------------- 
International Donor Coordination 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶5.  (U) The FM said that he was amazed by the sheer quantity 
of international donor assistance in Mozambique, and 
expressed surprise that there was not more effective 
communication between donors, and also between the GRM and 
those donors.  The Charge indicated that the USG wanted to 
work closely with the GRM and to coordinate activities with 
other donors, though the current arrangements which favored 
donors providing direct budget support, which did not fully 
include the USG, were sub-optimal.  The FM said he supported 
 
MAPUTO 00000323  002 OF 002 
 
 
our effort to review the manner in which donors and the GRM 
interact. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
Comment: Change for Good at the Foreign Ministry 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Consistent with what contacts have told us (ref C), 
FM Baloi appears to be an engaged and hands-on manager who is 
well-qualified to provide greater dynamism to the GRM,s 
foreign policy apparatus.  He seems determined to operate 
much differently than his uncommunicative predecessor, 
several times emphasizing his "total availability" for 
discussion.  We anticipate opportunities to move forward more 
productively with him on a wide range of issues. 
Chapman