Os dois líderes falavam num banquete em Maputo, oferecido em honra de Sócrates, no segundo dia da sua visita oficial a Moçambique.
Sócrates estava no poder em Lisboa quando o acordo final em Cahora Bassa foi assinado. Até novembro 2007, Portugal manteve 82 por cento e Moçambique somente 18 por cento.
O novo acordo possibilitou que Portugal vendesse a maioria a Moçambique por 700 milhões de dólares. Moçambique possuiu agora 85 por cento de HCB, e 15 por cento de Portugal.
O dinheiro foi obtido através de um empréstimo de serviços Franco-portugueses em consórcio bancário. Com uma capacidade que gera de 2.075 megawatts, Cahora Bassa é a segunda maior barragem em áfrica.
Guebuza elogiou Sócrates pela sua coragemnestas decisões tomadas ácerca de Chaora bassa ".-Um acto que abriu novos e brilhantes horizontes na cooperação entre os dois países.
Sócrates concordou. "Tive a oportunidade rara, como primeiro-Ministro, dealcançar este acordo", disse, "e estou consciente que com o acordo nós viramos uma página, e que juntos construímos fundações sólidas para o desenvolvimento de cooperação entre as nossas pessoas e países.
Desde o acordo de Cahora Bassa , Moçambique e Portugal têem estado a trabalharcontinuamente "na transformação de promessas em realidade" e fortalecendo os relacionamentos institucionais nas áreas da economia, educação, cultura, defesa, justiça e relações internacionais.
Mozambique: Guebuza and Socrates Speak of 'New Page' in Relations
Maputo — Mozambican President Armando Guebuza and Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates declared on Wednesday night that the transfer of HCB, the company that operates the Cahora Bassa dam on the Zambezi, to majority Mozambican ownership in 2007 marked the opening of a new stage in relations between the two countries.
The two leaders were speaking at a banquet in Maputo, given in Socrates' honour, on the second day of his official visit to Mozambique.
Socrates was in power in Lisbon when the final deal on Cahora Bassa was struck. Up until November 2007, Portugal held 82 per cent of the shares in HCB, and Mozambique just 18 per cent. The new arrangement saw Portugal sell most of its shares to Mozambique for 700 million US dollars. Mozambique now owned 85 per cent of HCB, and Portugal 15 per cent.
The money was obtained though a loan from a Franco-Portuguese banking consortium, and is being repaid from the sales of Cahora Bassa power. With a generating capacity of 2,075 megawatts, Cahora Bassa is the second largest dam in Africa.
Guebuza praised Socrates for his courage in closing the Cahora Bassa dossier "an act which has opened new and brilliant horizons in the cooperation between our two countries". Socrates agreed. "I had the rare opportunity, as Prime Minister, to reach this agreement", he said, "and I am aware that with the agreement we have turned a page, and we are building together solid foundations for the development of cooperation between our people and countries".
Since the Cahora Bassa deal, he said, Mozambique and Portugal had been working continually "to transform promises into reality" and to strengthen institutional relationships in the areas of the economy, education, culture, defence, justice and international relations.
Socrates noted that, despite the international financial crisis, in 2009 trade between Mozambique and Portugal grew by 30 per cent, and Portuguese investment in Mozambique increased fivefold. Other investment projects had been approved, he said, "which will lead to still more significant increases, notably investments that will allow added gains for Mozambique in terms of the transfer of technology and increased exports".
Socrates also stressed a seminar on renewable energies scheduled for Thursday in Maputo, during which projects will be launched to equip rural communities, schools and hospitals with small solar power stations.
The Portuguese Prime Minister also took the opportunity to reassure his hosts that Portugal will continue to provide some of its aid as direct support to the Mozambican budget. "I can assure you that Portugal will continue, without fail, its budget support for Mozambique", he pledged.
Portugal is one of the group of 19 "Programme Aid Partners" (G-19 or PAPs), donors and funding agencies that provide direct support to the budget. However, according to Finance Minister Manuel Chang, so far this year no budget support aid has yet arrived and the G-19 have warned the government that disbursements will probably only begin in April.
Socrates also thanked Guebuza for Mozambican support at the United Nations where Portugal is seeking election as one of the non-permanent members of the Security Council, with a two year term starting in 2011
He said that Mozambican support was very important because Mozambique is actively lobbying among other African countries.
