WELCOME STATEMENT TO THE PRESIDENT OF TANZANIA

WELCOME STATEMENT
TO THE PRESIDENT OF TANZANIA
HIS EXCELLENCY, JAKYA KIKWETE
FROM JAMAICA'S PRIME MINISTER
HON. BRUCE GOLDING
Wednesday, November 25, 2009

We are honoured and delighted to have visiting us at this time the distinguished President of the Republic of Tanzania, His Excellency Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete. President Kikwete, the entire Parliament of Jamaica comprising members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives are assembled here to welcome you, the First Lady of Tanzania, Her Excellency Mrs. Salma Kikwete and all the members of your delegation most heartily to Jamaica.

You have travelled more than 5,000 miles from the continent of Africa to be here. It is a long journey. It is a journey that our forefathers travelled or, more accurately, were forced to travel more than 300 years ago. This is where we came, this is our home and we are proud to call it our home. But we have never forgotten that our roots are embedded in Africa and, no matter how vast the oceans that separate us, we are family and we welcome you as a member of our family.

The bonds of friendship between Jamaica and Tanzania have remained strong and unbreakable. We remember with reverence your late President and the Father of your Nation, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere. We hail the example of selflessness that he was, the strong leadership that he offered to Africa in times of great challenge and the significant role he played in bringing freedom to so many people of Africa. We recall his visits to Jamaica in 1974 and again in 1988 after he had retired.

We commend you for the leadership that you are providing to the people of Tanzania. We know of the challenges you face: reducing poverty, developing your infrastructure, securing the investments needed to accelerate economic growth and provide better opportunities for your people and combating the effects of climate change that threatens the agricultural sector on which so much of your population depends.

But we commend you on the ambitious programme of transformation you have undertaken: economic liberalization, painful but necessary structural and fiscal reforms, tax reform, diversification of your economy, privatization and support for the private sector. You have done well. You have succeeded in maintaining low inflation, strong investment flows, robust international reserves and an average annual growth rate of 7% over the past decade.

We know that your momentum has been slowed by the current global recession but we have the confidence in the resilience of your country and the quality of your leadership to be assured that the march of the Tanzanian people toward progress and prosperity will not be halted.

We salute you, as well, for the sterling role you have played in diffusing tensions and resolving conflicts wherever they occur in East Africa. We admire the fact that despite your own economic challenges you have never failed to open your arms to the many thousands who have been displaced and have needed to find a home. It is a demonstration of the altruistic spirit that is so much a part of the tradition of Tanzania and we commend you for sustaining it.
We commit ourselves to supporting you in every way we can. In our discussions this morning, we identified areas of mutual cooperation which we pledge to pursue vigorously.

Jamaica and Tanzania will continue to work together to fulfil the hopes and dreams of the great patriots of Pan-Africanism like Marcus Garvey, Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere and Nelson Mandela.

The people of Jamaica welcome you to our shores, Mr. President, and as would be said in your native tongue: Karibu! Karibu!