The Municipal Council of Pemba, represented by its President, Florete Simba Motarua, and the Municipal Council of the City of Aberdeen, represented by The Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Barney Crockett, signed on 16 March 2021 – in a virtual ceremony – an extension of the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two cities for another 3 years.
The MoU will see both cities them engage in cooperation on business development and training opportunities.
The three-year MoU aims to build on the existing cooperation between Scotland and the province of Cabo Delgado (Mozambique) through a more direct community-to-community relationship.
The MoU’s goals are:
- to establish a working group that will keep both cities informed of important economic, educational and civic issues;
- share local government best practices and information;
- to provide information, assistance and support to prospective businesses exploring new opportunities in each jurisdiction;
- to develop, implement, monitor and evaluate a bi-annual action plan focusing on economic growth, training, capacity building and direct business-to-business links.
Aberdeen City Council will, as appropriate, support Pemba in its attempt to join the World Energy Cities Partnership.
The Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Barney Crockett, who is also President of the World Energy Cities Partnership said: “I am delighted that we have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Pemba City Council. It will allow both cities to pursue mutually beneficial opportunities, through interaction in both public and private sectors where we identify common goals and objectives.”
The Mayor of Pemba Florete Simba said: “The MoU with Aberdeen City is in line with our vision Pemba 2050 which is to have Pemba on the international stage through WECP as a modern and resilient city.”
The signatory cities will review the impact of the MoU in March 2024.
Also read: Mozambique: Pemba launches housing project to benefit youth
The MoU takes into account the Treaty of Cooperation established between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the Republic of Mozambique.
With this MoU, and without neglecting other fields considered important by the parties, actions and projects related to the social and economic growth of the cities of Pemba and Aberdeen are expected to continue.
The signing of the extension of this memorandum of understanding was witnessed by the Secretary of State for the Province of Cabo Delgado Armindo Saúl Atelela Ngunga and by the High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Mozambique, NneNne Iwuji-EmE.
