The State Department’s blog– Dipnote– has a blog post today from Under Secretary for Political Affairs William J. Burns about the US’s strategic partnership with Angola.
Here’s a short excerpt:
I am convinced that the American people can be instrumental in helping Angola make progress. Our health programs continue to produce results, and the Angolans were particularly appreciative of our contribution to their accomplishment in cutting in half the number of Angolan children who die from malaria each year. I spoke with a number of American and Angolan business people about the opportunities for U.S. companies in Angola. Its vast and untapped agricultural potential, with only 5 percent of its 35 million hectares of arable land currently under cultivation, could eventually serve as a breadbasket for the sub-region. U.S. firms have done well in the oil sector, but many other possibilities exist.
It was also a pleasure to meet with the American men and women, civilian and uniformed, who serve our country overseas. Angola offers many challenges for these dedicated public servants, but our diplomats and local staff continue to work hard because they understand that Angola is a place that matters. I am proud of them.
A quick bit of follow-up from Secretary Clinton’s visit in Angola: while there the Secretary witnessed the signing of an accord between USAID, Chevron, and a variety of other partners. This partnership is committed to expanding non-oil business in the country, which is currently heavily reliant on petroleum products for economic development. When Angola emerged from civil war, economic growth and agricultural development were tagged as key priorities for the country.
As Secretary Clinton mentioned in her remarks, part of this investment will be directed towards smallholder farmers in an effort to boost agricultural productivity. Often oil-producers invest in support for non-oil business in order to bolster social and political stability in a country, which also helps protect their oil-related investments. The Memorandum of Understanding that was signed will provide continuity for the $56 million Angola Partnership Initiative between USAID, Chevron, and other partners that supports initiatives on education, food security, government capacity building, and small business development.
Earlier today, Secretary Clinton signed a landmark agreement with Angola aimed at combating HIV/AIDS. This new “partnership framework” emphasizes a ground-up approach and lays out a five-year plan in which the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) will support health priorities laid out in Angola’s HIV National Strategic Plan.
Here are a few key excerpts from Secretary Clinton’s remarks on the agreement:
“This framework represents a new approach to our government’s fight against HIV/AIDS. It emphasizes a bottoms-up approach tailored for and by the country we are assisting. It represents an expansion of local capacity and health care systems that can last over time. It represents long-term planning and more intensive pursuit of prevention. It represents the use of measurements to assure effectiveness and accountability. It will allow for greater coordination among the many parties involved in preventing and treating HIV/AIDS. And finally, it will place greater attention of the affect of HIV/AIDS on women.”
“I am pleased that, thanks to the very swift work between the minister of health and the global AIDS coordinator, we are going to more than double funding for PEPFAR in Angola.”
While Angola is already a PEPFAR focus country, through this new agreement, the U.S. and Angola will work together to strengthen health systems; improve monitoring and evaluation; bolster HIV prevention activities (particularly mother-to-child transmission); address TV/HIV co-infection; address discrimination issues; encourage testing; and promote the people living with HIV/AIDS in all levels of planning and implementation.
Funding will reportedly increase from $7 million to $17 million.
On Sunday, August 9th, Secretary Clinton arrived in Angola, the third African country on her seven nation tour. Secretary Clinton met with government officials, including Angolan President Eduardo dos Santos, to discuss good governance and greater cooperation with the United States.
With a population of 17 million, Angola is one of the largest oil producers in sub-Saharan Africa, rivaling Nigeria as the largest sub-Saharan African source of crude oil for the United States. Angola has been working with the U.S. government to increase transparency and recently started publishing their oil revenues online. Yet even with these revenues, two-thirds of the Angolan population still lives on less than $2 a day. During her meeting, Secretary Clinton pressed the government to do more to fight corruption and emphasized the importance of the country’s first post-war presidential election. The elections were initially scheduled to take place this year, but it appears that they will be delayed until 2010. The government has said that they would like to approve a new constitution before holding elections, but critics argue that the President is intentionally delaying elections in order to extend his three decade rule. The government held parliamentary elections last year and in a press conference with Secretary Clinton, the Angolan Minister of Foreign Affairs said they needed more time to conduct a presidential election.
It is thought that Secretary Clinton is seeking a strengthened relationship with Angola in order to ensure America’s position in African energy relations. U.S. officials say Clinton’s visit is intended to demonstrate the government’s interest in Angola as a major energy supplier to the U.S.
Secretary Clinton also stated an interest in playing a larger role in Angola’s agriculture sector. Angola was once a major food exporter, but it now imports over half of its food.
Clinton is the first U.S. Secretary of State to visit Angola since Colin Powell’s trip in 2002. A U.S. president has not visited Angola since it became independent in 1975.
The State Department has announced that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will “travel to Africa next week on a seven-nation tour aimed at highlighting the Obama administration’s commitment to the continent.” Clinton plans to visit 7 countries including Kenya, South Africa, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Liberia and Cape Verde.
You can read more details of the trip here. We’ll bring further news as it develops.
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