Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Jendayi E. Frazer, Ends a Successful Official Visit to Angola

Jandayi Frazer addresses U.S. - Angolan business communities at lunch hosted by both countries Chamber of Commerce.

United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Jendayi E. Frazer, visited Angola from May 31 to June 3, 2007 as part of a two-country trip to Africa, which also included Nigeria. 

During her visit, Frazer announced a U.S.-funded grant totaling $626,850, which will support the Angolan Government’s rural electrification effort.  The grant will provide technical assistance for hydropower development and electricity distribution projects in Cuchi (Kuando Kubango province) and Luena (Moxico province). 

This grant was announced at a lunch hosted by the U.S.-Angola Chamber of Commerce on (please fill date here).  In her remarks, Assistant Secretary Frazer praised the high-level of cooperation between the United States and Angola and characterized it as being at an “all-time high in the political, economic, military and health spheres.”

This high-level of bilateral cooperation between the two countries was witnessed in meetings that the Assistant Secretary had with a host of senior Angolan government officials, including Deputy Prime Minister, Aguinaldo Jaime, Minister of Foreign Affairs, João Miranda, Vice Minister of Territorial Administration, Edeltrudes da Costa, and Vice-Minister of Defense, Agostinho Nelumba “Sanjar.”  

With respect to encouraging more U.S. private investment, the Assistant Secretary told Angolan and U.S. business communities, politicians and media representatives that “…the Bush Administration would like to work with the Angolan Government and businesses to send the right signals to potential investors.  We would like to help Angola implement transparent financial management systems and reduce the bureaucratic obstacles to starting or operating a business locally. For instance, Angola needs to lower the number of days it takes to establish a business, which currently stands at 124 days and well above the regional average.” (Read more)

In a press conference at the end of the visit, Jendayi Frazer assessed her trip as very

Assistant Secretary Frazer, U.S. and Angolan  Ambassadors and the Vice Governor of Huambo get ready for a tour of Tchicala Tcholohanga landmine field.

positive because “… Angola has had tremendous progress since the end of the war in 2002.  I think there is a lot of hope.  The economy is going extremely well.  The registration process for voting is underway.  I noted that there’s a lot more people to be registered, so certainly the U.S. Government will continue to encourage the Government and all the political parties and all the communities to work towards getting everyone that is eligible registered. … So, my overall assessment is very positive.”

Assistant Secretary Frazer also traveled to Huambo province, where she met with local authorities and civil society leaders and visited U.S.-funded development projects.