The Chargé d’Affaires of the United States of America in Mozambique, Abigail L. Dressel, visited Zambézia province this week to confirm the investment package of around 500 million dollars approved under the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), the Mozambican News Agency reported.
According to the agency, the visit comes at a time when, despite cuts made by the Trump Administration to various USAID programmes, funding for the MCA has been maintained and strengthened — a fact the Government interprets as a sign of continuity in bilateral cooperation.
During the trip, Abigail Dressel met with the governor of Zambézia, Pio Matos; the Mayor of Quelimane, Manuel de Araújo; the administrator of the Quelimane district, Amostra Sobrinho; the permanent secretary of Mocuba, Elisabete Lundo Verboy; and the Mayor of Mocuba, Manuela Opincai.
The meetings addressed the province’s priority needs and the projects included in the MCA package, namely the construction of a new bridge in Mocuba and a ring road intended to improve traffic circulation in that part of the central region.
The projects fall under the Millennium Challenge Corporation programme and aim to improve infrastructure, facilitate regional mobility and create jobs associated with the execution of the works.
In a statement from the U.S. Embassy, it is noted that the planned investments are expected to strengthen infrastructure and deepen cooperation between Mozambique and the United States.
Diplomatic sources indicate that the continuity of the MCA, even with constraints in other U.S. foreign aid programmes, represents a sign of confidence in the partnership with Mozambique and in the economic potential of Zambézia province.
At the end of the visit, Abigail Dressel stated that “the United States intends to continue its cooperation with Mozambique in the areas covered by the financing package.”
