Speech by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix at the gala dinner in honour of the President of Mozambique and Mrs Guebuza
The Hague, 27 February 2008
Mr President,
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you and Mrs Guebuza on the occasion of your official visit to our country.
You are the third President of Mozambique to visit the Netherlands. And our country is anything but unknown territory to you, since in both nineteen eighty-three and nineteen eighty-nine, you accompanied your predecessors, first as Minister of the Interior, and later as Minister for Transport and Communication. I also recall the visit you paid to the Netherlands in two thousand and four, when you were a presidential candidate. In brief, Mr President, you are no stranger to our country - and therefore all the more welcome.
Despite the fact that your country has existed as an independent state for only a few decades, it has had a turbulent history. The long civil war that afflicted Mozambique seriously impeded rapid development. Only after nineteen ninety-two could reconstruction begin.
Nature too has sometimes proved to be hostile. In 2000, my son, Prince Alexander, saw the appalling consequences of the devastating floods that had overwhelmed your country. And less than two months ago, floods once again took the lives of a number of people and made many more homeless. This time, fortunately, the measures taken by your country to cope with the violent forces of nature proved capable of limiting the impact of this disaster.
Despite these setbacks, a clear process of economic development can be observed in your country. To a large extent, this is based on Mozambique's own potential, and on the raw materials and energy resources that it possesses. Increased agricultural productivity - your 'Green Revolution' - plays an important part in this respect. Furthermore, development is supported by countries that have Mozambique's future at heart. Cooperation with these countries focuses primarily on poverty reduction and structural development, whereby improving education, health care, and access to clean drinking water and good sanitation are the main priorities. The choice of Mozambique as one of the countries where the United Nations intends to implement its new efficiency plan, entitled Delivering as One, will further support the achievement of the Millennium Goals in your country.
In addition, we see how your Government endeavours to improve governance and strengthen democratic structures. An important factor here is the multi-party system, now a feature of your country, of which you yourself have always been the most prominent advocate. Our country is proud to be able to play a role in this process of democratic development, decentralisation and support for political parties and civil society - and will be happy to continue to do so.
Mr President,
As you know, the history of our interest in Mozambique is a long one. Our trade relations date from the early eighteenth century, and flourished in the nineteenth. In the twentieth century, solidarity movements sprung up here that sympathised with Mozambique's struggle for independence, and with the long battle your country fought as a front-line state against apartheid. All this has led to close cooperation between our two countries in a variety of fields. I have only mentioned a few. The successes that have been achieved are gratifying and hold a clear promise for the future.
I'd like to invite all those present to raise their glasses with me and drink to your health, Mr President, to that of Mrs Guebuza, and to a bright future for the people of Mozambique.