MOZAMBIQUE AND THE EUROPEAN UNION, A SOLID AND LONG-STANDING RELATIONSHIP

Interview with Antonino Maggiore, EU Ambassador to Mozambique

Mozambique and the European Union have built a decades-long relationship based on shared values and common interests, as well as on major strategies and policies such as the Global Gateway and the Team Europe initiatives. This partnership is driven by and consolidated in sectors such as development cooperation and political dialogue; economic, trade and investment relations; good governance, consolidation of peace and democracy; the fight against extremist insurgency in Cabo Delgado and interaction with Mozambican actors, from the central structures to the smallest local level. The Ambassador of the European Union in Mozambique, His Excellency Mr Antonino Maggiore, has been in the country for six months and spoke to Xonguila magazine about various aspects of his journey in the country so far, as well as how the “360-degree partnership” – in his own words – between the European Union and Mozambique will unfold in the next four years of his mission.

Mr Ambassador, could you please tell us what led you to a career in diplomacy, and describe your professional journey for us?

I’ve dreamt of being a diplomat since I was a child. I went to university to study Law, with the intention of becoming a lawyer. But my dream was persistent and led me to join Italy’s foreign service in 1999, then a 25-year-old. I worked as a diplomat at the Italian Embassy, first in Beijing, then in Turkey, and at the Italian representation in the European Union – which was vitally important to me – and then as Italy’s Ambassador to Zambia. I decided to become a diplomat because, ever since I was a boy, I was fascinated by the idea of travelling and discovering the world. This was the initial reason. Over time, I learnt the important role that diplomacy plays in connecting people from different countries, in establishing links between societies and governments, and also in multilateral contexts. I believe that this is diplomacy’s added value: to be at the service of one’s country in order to create opportunities and links for society, for entrepreneurs, men and women, for scientists, artists, academics – in other words, to stimulate exchanges and allow societies to grow thanks to these connections.

You have served the Italian government in several countries and have also been at the service of the European Union. We would like you to tell us about your first experience serving the European Union and the big differences between serving a government and serving a governmental bloc. When I served in Brussels from

2013 to 2017, I had the opportunity to learn – at close range – what the European Union is, and what a great political success this bloc is for the sake of European citizens, European governments and their institutions. It is a complementary role to be Ambassador of a member state and of the European Union, because we work together as “Team Europe”. The European Union is a complex political reality where Member States play an important role and their Ambassadors are also protagonists in the political activities of the European Union. They each lead their assigned EU Delegation in coordinating the common positioning and implementing the policies of the bloc in pursuit of strategic interests, whilst strengthening cooperation with partner countries.

I am therefore excited about this role as Ambassador of the European Union, a unique experience. I have a team of 60 people committed to and focused on promoting our partnership with Mozambique, and important instruments of cooperation to carry out programmes that lead to practical results and impact. It is a very good experience to represent the European Union in Mozambique, to be accountable to the member states and European citizens, and to promote our fun- damental values.

It has been six months since you arrived in Mozambique. What are your initial impressions, how do you evaluate your first interactions and what has fascinated you the most?

My first months have been extremely meaningful and satisfying, both professionally and personally. Mozambique is a vibrant country; it has beauty and potential. People lead their lives with social and cultural dynamism whilst navigating economic opportunities . But there are also the challenges of poverty and inequality, the insecurity associated with insurgency in the North and its consequences. From a political standpoint, Mozambique is a country with an important history and trajectory. Difficult moments were overcome, such as a decade and a half of [civil] war, and development processes were undertaken, such as the consolidation of peace and institutions, whose role is crucial for the progress of the entire nation, under the leadership of President Filipe Nyusi and his people. It is a privilege to be able to contribute to raising bilateral relations to a new level, and to materialise my ambition of showing how the European Union is Mozambique’s primary partner in all spheres. To give a few examples: a week after my arrival, we received a visit from the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy , Josep Borrel and, in October, from the EU Commissioner for Democracy and Demography, Dubravka Šuica , to attend the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and sign sectoral cooperation agreements. I’ve already met with various actors and, in the spirit of partnership, we continue to pursue important agendas, such as the political dialogue between the Government of Mozambique and the European Union in December, the dialogue on trade and investment with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the launch of Team Europe initiatives, among other actions. The openness and commitment to overcome challenges and bring in results is commendable, and this is the spirit we must maintain.

Given the current world scenario, namely the consequences of the pandemic and conflicts in various places such as Ukraine, how do you view the role of diplomacy?

Diplomacy has evolved over time. Various contexts and realities have reinvented the way diplomacy is practiced, and it is itself adapting in times of crisis, such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian military aggression against Ukraine, as you have well exemplified. The important thing is to recognise that in these times of crisis, international cooperation is more than essential and should never be interrupted. With the pandemic, organisations, states and people adapted and embraced the so-called hybrid diplomacy, which combines traditional face-to-face meetings with online participation, and important decisions were taken to find solutions for the pandemic itself. The Russian war against Ukraine – unprovoked and unjustified, to reiterate – was yet another test to diplomacy, in particular European diplomacy: our bloc of 27

[member states] did not cancel its international commitments, whether bilateral or multilateral; on the contrary, it accelerated, for example, its green and humanitarian agenda. The European Union and its partners carried out all diplomatic commitments, which made it possible to continue international cooperation and respond to the Russian invasion, in terms of diplomatic support in forums such as the United Nations with the approval of important resolutions, financial and humanitarian aid and all the solidarity shown. This is all to say that diplomacy always faces challenges, but the commitment of States and their respective leadership, of regional blocs and international bodies, all based on commonly accepted rules, is what strengthens diplomacy and turns it into an instrument for delivering solutions.

One hears about new initiatives such as the European Green Pact, the Global Gateway and Team Europe. What are they, and how do they fit into the EU agenda in Mozambique?

I must really begin with the Global Gateway, which is a forward-looking initiative. It was launched a year ago, but we have already seen it rollout in all regions – including here in Mozambique – where, as Team Europe, we are implementing the Green Pact for Mozambique and e-Youth. Overall, this initiative aims to boost smart, clean and secure connections in the digital, energy and transport sectors and strengthen health, education and research systems across the world. It is also fully aligned with the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals. In Mozambique, we intend to mobilise a collective European response to an increasingly challenging and changing landscape and become partners with greater impact. Something important about these two initiatives, Green Pact for Mozambique and e-Youth, is that they result from consultations with Government, civil society and other cooperation partners. The Green Pact for Mozambique will support the Government in protecting and restoring the country’s natural wealth and increase coordination of investments that the EU and its members are planning and implementing in the sustainable infrastructure sector, taking advantage of the opportunities presented by the ecological transition. At this stage, the European Union is already supporting Mozambique in materializing its twin ambition of ensuring universal access to electricity and a fair transition to renewable energies, with strong in- volvement from the private sector. On the other hand, e-Youth will assist young people in reaching their full potential to lead socio-economic transformation through education, employment and empowerment. The European Green Pact, for its part, aims to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions, representing Europe’s commitment to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 under the Paris Agreement. These strategies and initiatives are well aligned with the EU’s cooperation programme with Mozambique (2021-2027) in areas such as Green Growth, Youth Development and Governance, Peace and Fair Society, and with Mozambique’s priorities for this five-year cycle.

How has the interaction with local actors and other organisations been in the implementation of the various projects, programmes and initiatives?

Interaction with local actors is an essential part of consolidating our partnership with Mozambique. We learn from them, from their sensibilities and knowledge about the realities on the ground, and we gain a better insight on the problems that we jointly seek solutions for. That is how we agree on the priorities of our cooperation: by preserving the shared values and common interests between Mozambique and the European Union. In coordination with the [Mozambican] Government, we have international organisations as strategic partners and agreements in place to implement programmes in sectors such as peace consolidation, local development, protection of human rights, prevention of and fight against violence and promotion of gender equality. As Team Europe, I can highlight the implementation of the peace agreement, including aspects of reintegration that involve local development, education for peace and empowerment, as well as the DELPAZ programme, with Austria and Italy as implementation partners in Sofala, Manica and Tete. We have a project to promote youth employment in Cabo Delgado, whose management is delegated to Portugal’s Instituto Camões. It is imperative to mention EU’s integrated approach in Cabo Delgado: our interaction with various partners aims to strengthen, throughout the northern region, the triple nexus of humanitarian assistance, security and peace building and development. On the security front, the European Union Military Training Mission (EUTM) currently trains members of the Mozambique defence and security forces to fight insurgency in the North. Equally important is our collaboration and concertation with other actors in the African region to find a solution for Cabo Delgado – and here I’m specifically referring to the European Union’s support of the SADC Mission (SAMIM) and the Rwandan Forces that are on the ground to help halting the advance of the insurgents.

What communication strategies do you consider indispensable between the European Union and Mozambique?

The first strategy is frank and open dialogue. Dialogue is foundational for the solid relationship between Mozambique and the European Union, because we coordinate policies and plans and we do it at political, social, economic and trade levels, and in regional and global forums. Twice a year, we have the EU-Mozambique political dialogue in which we assess the progress of our cooperation and agree on positions and priorities, and we also have sectoral dialogues for more specific concertation of actions to be implemented.

To get to know the real Mozambique, we go out on the field and interact with players ranging from community leaders, civil society and the private sector. These are the people who help us actualise the 360-degree partnership that the European Union cultivates with Mozambique.

How would you rate the relations between the European Union and Mozambique in recent years?

What do you consider to be the greatest joint achievements to date?

Excellent relations! The European Union and Mozambique have their agendas aligned in relation to national and global priorities, and these agendas intersect. I want to highlight the fact that Mozambique has officially began its mandate on the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member, a process that the European Union is proud to have supported. It’s there that the Government of Mozambique will share its views on various international issues , including the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the preservation of a rules-based international order in line with the

United Nations Charter. We have achieved a lot together – we have managed to improve the lives of Mozambicans through local economic empowerment, job creation for the youth, building and rehabilitating infrastructure such as roads and bridges, and we have promoted peace and stability as key conditions for development.

What are the key actions, plans and programmes to be implemented in the near future?

I referred to earlier to the Multiannual Indicative Plan [Programa Indicativo Plurianual (2021-2027)] , which is the cooperation programme agreed to between the Government of Mozambique and the European Union. This instrument is focused on the country’s priorities, with gender aspects being transversal. There are 428 million euro allocated for the period 2021-2024 , and a total of 183 million euro for the 2022 Annual Action Programme, which covers actions in the three priority areas of the Multiannual Plan. At this moment, the 2023 Annual Action Programme is already underway, encompassing sector interventions on active citizenship, democratic governance, the fight against sexual and gender-based violence, capacity building for employment, and a sustainable blue economy. I would also like to mention that when I presented my letters of credence to the President of the Republic, we addressed the need to promote more business and investment exchanges between Europe and Mozambique. As a follow-up, this year we will host the European Union – Mozambique Business Forum and involve the European private sector – through EUROCAM [Association of European Entrepreneurs in Mozambique] – and the local sector. In closing, a note to say that we will have our annual Europe Day celebration in May, for us a great celebration of Europe around the world and an important moment of exchange with Mozambique.