The agreement to this effect was signed on Friday in Maputo by Mozambican Foreign Minister Alcinda Abreu and by Norwegian Ambassador Thorbjorn Gaustadsaether.
Speaking immediately after the signing, Abreu said the agreement will make it possible to improve the impact of national energy policies. She stressed the good relations between Norway and Mozambique, and the Norwegian commitment to the fight against poverty in Mozambique.
For his part, Gaustadsaether said that his government has defined energy and the environment as two priority areas of cooperation between Norway and poor countries.
"We continue to support the energy sector because Mozambique has identified it as one of the strategic areas for the Action Plan for the Reduction of Absolute Poverty (PARPA)", he added. "The objective is to improve the sector's productivity, and expand access to electricity for domestic use as well as for the education and health service".
The overall objective of Norwegian cooperation in this area, said the ambassador, was to ensure the balanced and sustainable growth of the energy sector - but to achieve that goal, "we must have a functional ministry".
SOURCE: AIM
