ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER'S DECEMBER 21, 2005

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 DAR ES SALAAM 002337 SIPDIS SENSITIVE AF FOR DON YAMAMOTO ALSO AF/E FOR BYODER AND AF/RSA FOR JNAY DRL FOR KGILBRIDE LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHER E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM TZ SUBJECT: ASSISTANT SECRETARY FRAZER'S DECEMBER 21, 2005 CONVERSATION WITH TANZANIAN PRESIDENT JAKAYA KIKWETE REF: A. DAR ES SALAAM 02322 ¶B. DAR ES SALAAM 02321 ¶1. (U) December 21, 2005, 3:30 p.m., Dar es Salaam, Tanzania ¶2. (U) Participants: U.S. Jendayi E. Frazer, Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Ambassador Michael Retzer Dr. Cindy Courville, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor, NSC ¶D. Purnell Delly, DCM Mary Johnson, Political Counselor and Notetaker TANZANIA President Jakaya Kikwete Ambassador Cisco Mitro, Chief of Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Ambassador Pastor Ngaiza, Director of Europe and Americas Division (MFA) Summary -------------- ¶3. (SBU) In a December 21 meeting, Tanzania,s new President, Jakaya Kikwete, thanked the U.S. inaugural delegation led by AF Assistant Secretary Jendayi Frazer for Tanzania,s selection as a Millennium Challenge Compact country. He also expressed his appreciation for U.S. HIV/AIDS and malaria assistance. In a private meeting just four hours after he was sworn in to a five-year term as President of Tanzania, Kikwete promised to work toward closer cooperation between our two governments including in the fight against terrorism and within the United Nations. He promised that one of his first appointments would be a coordinator and point person for Tanzania,s MCA eligibility. End summary. Support Across the Nation -------------- ¶4. (SBU) President Kikwete told Assistant Secretary Frazer, NSC Africa Senior Director, Dr. Cindy Courville, and Ambassador Retzer that after an intensive campaign, he was glad the election was finally behind him. He was appreciative that his mandate had crossed party lines with polling results showing that not only ruling CCM party supporters had voted for him, but members of other parties had selected him while still casting parliamentary and local councilor votes for their own parties, candidates. "Since a cross-section of the population voted for me, it has created unity and strengthened what our new administration will be able to do,8 Kikwete added. Dr. Courville replied, &Winning over 80 percent of the vote is very impressive; you �A;have real political capital now.8 ¶5. (SBU) A/S Frazer conveyed President Bush,s written congratulations to Kikwete, saying that &We are excited about your presidency. All of Africa and the world are looking forward to working with your new government.8 She noted that Tanzania is very important to President Bush both as an MCC country, as well as one of the 15 countries worldwide in the USG HIV-AIDS prevention initiative (PEPFAR) and one of three countries to launch the President,s Malaria Initiative. A/S Frazer added: &The United States looks forward to deepening the relationship between our two countries.8 Closer Ties -------------- ¶6. (SBU) Kikwete was grateful for President Bush,s congratulatory message stating that it was the first written congratulations he had received from a head of state. (Note: President Kikwete,s inauguration ceremony was attended by 14 heads of state--13 presidents and the King of Lesotho--from other African countries. End note). He assured the delegation that his government remains fully committed to and &will not waiver in the fight against terrorism.8 He also emphasized that the United States is &an important friend,8 and he wants to deepen the bilateral relationship. In particular, he was pleased that Tanzania had been chosen as a Millennium Challenge Compact country. ¶7. (SBU) Kikwete stated unequivocally that his first priority is poverty reduction, reiterating how key MCC is to reaching that goal. &The MCC is critically important for our efforts to raise our standard of living; we are ready to fully cooperate in that area. We will also look for other opportunities where we can cooperate.8 Ambassador Retzer reminded him of the importance of appointing a coordinator for the MCC as soon as possible. &Please, I have only been in office for a few hours!8 the new president joked. &But seriously, we will do that.8 New Areas of Cooperation -------------- ¶8. (SBU) Assistant Secretary Frazer continued that, in addition to ongoing programs and issues, the USG looks forward to working closely in the U.N. Security Council, and to expanding mil-to-mil cooperation between our two countries. She explained that the USG goal is to cooperate as much as possible with Tanzania on programs that are allowable absent an Article 98 agreement until such an agreement could be signed. She said the U.S. would continue to engage Tanzania on signing an Article 98 agreement. ¶9. (SBU) President Kikwete explained that UN reform remains a priority for Tanzania, but &as I have mentioned to you in previous meetings, we believe it is important to give time to build a consensus.8 He explained that in the past &we have had some problems with our G-4 friends, but Tanzania and the other countries weathered those problems and gained understanding. We will continue to follow this approach.8 ¶10. (SBU) Dr. Courville stated that the United States welcomes building a strong and open dialogue with Tanzania and that both the NSC and the Department look forward to &your coming to Washington to meet with President Bush in order to discuss the way forward both on the Article 98 agreement as well as the Millennium Challenge Compact.8 MCC Strategy -------------- ¶11. (SBU) Kikwete assured the delegation that one of the earliest decisions he will make is to appoint a person to head up Tanzania,s Millennium Challenge Compact Office. &In early December I discussed with Ambassador Retzer what our government needs to do. I intend to have my MCC team on the ground here before the MCC team comes from Washington to visit in early February.8 He stated at this point his preference is to place the MCC coordinating office in the State House, to be closer to his own office. ¶12. (SBU) Ambassador Retzer suggested that President Kikwete might do well to send one or two persons from his MCC team to other countries that have made rapid progress in establishing an MCC compact such as Benin, Cape Verde or Madagascar. AU Presidency -------------- ¶13. (SBU) In her final point, A/S Frazer raised the USG,s concerns about the next AU presidency. While conceding it was a sensitive subject, she shared U.S. concern with President Kikwete that Sudan might assume the presidency of the African Union, despite its complicity in Darfur. She suggested that perhaps East Africa may even want to cede the chair to Central Africa. ¶14. (SBU) President Kikwete asked the U.S. delegation to &trust Africa; we always finally do the right thing.8 He recalled that when a similar situation arose in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and Zimbabwe was being considered, that Tanzania had volunteered to take the chair. &Although it is far too soon for me to volunteer for the chair, I assure you that within the AU and other regional organizations, Tanzania,s role is always to build bridges, not to break them.8 Comment -------------- ¶15. (SBU) President Kikwete was relaxed, confident, and happy to have finally reached his long-anticipated inauguration day. It was heartening that his first point to the delegation was an expression of his new administration's determination to make progress on the Millennium Challenge Compact without delay, and he was clearly excited by the idea of an early visit to Washington next year. Indeed, Kikwete welcomed a second meeting with Assistant Secretary Frazer (which we will report septel) in which they discussed a wide range of issues including Zanzibar, Museveni and Uganda,s presidential succession, and Ethiopia/Eritrea. All in all, there was nothing in U.S. Del,s and then A/S Frazer,s own meetings here, particularly with President Kikwete, which did anything to dispel the notion that U.S.-Tanzanian relations stand on the threshold of a new and exciting chapter. ¶16. (U) Assistant Secretary Frazer cleared this cable. DELLY