Yesterday afternoon, the President of the Republic, Daniel Chapo, received in audience the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom in Mozambique, Helen Lewis, to discuss strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries.

During the meeting, the significant growth in bilateral trade was highlighted, as well as the challenges to be overcome in order to consolidate the confidence of British investors in the country.

"Clearly, we have a very comprehensive partnership between the government of Mozambique and the United Kingdom, and today I had the pleasure of talking about our economic partnership with His Excellency the President and with the presence of the various British companies here in Mozambique," said the High Commissioner, speaking to the press, stressing the importance of dialogue and economic reforms to boost investment.

According to the diplomat, trade between Mozambique and the United Kingdom is expected to increase by more than 115 percent between 2023 and 2024, reflecting the strength of the economic partnership.

"And the level of British investment has also increased in recent years. So we have a very strong partnership," he said.

However, the High Commissioner expressed concern about the impact of the post-election violence on the business environment in the country.

"Clearly, we've had the shock of the post-election violence, and we've talked a lot about how we can regain the confidence of British investors and British companies," he said, emphasizing the need for stability and predictability to attract more foreign investment.

The diplomat also stressed the importance of inclusive growth, pointing to the need for the benefits of development to reach all regions of the country, especially remote areas. "We talked about the priorities in terms of inclusive growth in Mozambique and how we can reach people in remote areas with the benefits of inclusive growth," she said.

In this vein, the UK's commitment to the energy transition and the promotion of renewable energies in Mozambique was highlighted, as a way of stimulating development and improving people's quality of life.

"We are working a lot on Mozambique's energy transition and in the area of renewable energies, and how we can reach remote areas with small solar systems, for example, and energy to boost the economy further," explained the High Commissioner.

The meeting reinforced the commitment of Mozambique and the United Kingdom to strengthen trade ties, attract sustainable investment and promote initiatives that boost inclusive economic development in the country.