Speech by President of the Republic Tarja Halonen at a dinner hosted by President Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania on February 4, 2003

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I want to thank you Mr. President for your invitation to Tanzania. I have been enjoying my visit very much and have warm memories of the last time I was here, as a member of my predecessor Martti Ahtisaari’s party during his state visit in 1997. Similarly, it was a great honour and pleasure for me to take part in making the arrangements when you, Ben, visited Finland in 1998.

Since those visits, our paths have converged again since we were appointed the co-chairs of the ILO’s World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalisation. I am happy to be able to work with you on the Commission. Our countries have enjoyed success in very different ways in this world of globalisation. I believe that our different points of departure and experiences can contribute a significant added value to the Commission’s work.

Our shared goal is a globalisation that has more of a human face, promotes balanced and equitable development, growth and employment, and reduces poverty. In other words, our goal is a globalisation conducive to a decent life.

We have noted today that relations between our countries are excellent. As a result of over five decades’ of missionary work and development cooperation that has been going on since the beginning of the 1960s, relations between Finland and Tanzania are especially close. The ways in which this clearly manifests itself include a lively exchange of high-level visits, the intense activity of NGOs and cooperation between our universities. Of course, we still have plenty of work to do in broadening and deepening relations between our countries; the most obvious challenges in the near future include promoting trade and improving the availability of new information technology in Tanzania.

Tanzania enjoys respect in Finland as the most stable country in this part of Africa. Your country is regarded as a harbour of peace in the midst of the conflicts in the Great Lakes region. Tanzania has been making a valuable contribution to promoting a search for negotiated settlements to the crises afflicting the region. In addition to your own difficulties, you have demonstrated solidarity by assuming responsibility for the refugees you have taken in. International humanitarian aid notwithstanding, this is a heavy responsibility.

In addition to trying to resolve regional conflicts, you in Tanzania have demonstrated a problem-solving ability in conflicts affecting your own country. The conciliation agreement on the crisis in Zanzibar is a good example of an African way to solve an African problem.

Esteemed President, Dear Ben, Under your leadership, Tanzania has made a stronger commitment to a multi-party system and a market economy. As I understand, Tanzania is also firmly committed to regional integration and is working actively within both the SADC and the EAC frameworks. Tanzania’s role in the SADC will become even more prominent when you assume the Presidency in 2004.

In this connection I want to stress the importance of respecting democracy and human rights and observing the rule of law as the basic pillars of a modern society. Building and developing these pillars also boosts economic growth. Action against corruption is both preventive and remedial in character. I congratulate Tanzania on the determined work that you are doing in this difficult field.

Tanzania is Finland’s oldest development cooperation partner and at present the second biggest aid recipient. Development cooperation will continue to be a central element in our relations. In accordance with the decision-in-principle made by the Government of Finland in February 2001, Tanzania remains one of our main cooperation partners.

Measured by our own yardstick, Finland’s financial assistance to Tanzania is significant. In the reality of Tanzania, however, it is relatively little. Our share of the development aid received by Tanzania is less than two per cent. That prompted me to wonder how coordination between donors works. Another matter equally worth pondering would be how much of your time you Tanzanians have to devote to negotiating with donors and drafting reports.

To my knowledge, Tanzania and the international donor community working here have for several years been paying serious attention to these problems and since the partnership initiative you have already made aid coordination more efficient, to the benefit of both parties. Indeed, Tanzania has been a pioneer in, for example, implementing the harmonisation principles outlined by the OECD’s Development Aid Committee. Harmonisation has gotten off to an exemplary start and I wish the follow-up work still needed the best of success.

Esteemed President, Dear Ben, You have stressed that the sustainable development of a democratic society requires sufficient economic growth and especially pro-poor growth. You have also expressed your concern at Tanzania’s continuing dependence on aid.

I hope and believe that under your leadership Tanzania’s economic growth will gain momentum and your dependence on foreign aid will gradually decline in a controlled manner. Changes always open up opportunities for new kinds of interaction, and that will certainly be the case also for Tanzania and its cooperation partners, one of which Finland is proud to be.

Esteemed President, Dear Ben, I want to propose a toast to your and your wife’s health and wish Tanzania and its people the best of success!