Mozambique minister visits UK to share oil and gas expertise
Mozambican Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Leticia Klemens, paid a 4 day official visit to the UK at the invitation of the British government.
Leticia Klemens welcomed in London by Minister Tobias Elwood
The visit program was centred mainly on the minister’s participation at the Subsea Expo 2017 conference and exhibition, which took place from 1 to 3 February in Aberdeen, Scotland - one of the most respected in terms of oil and gas expertise centres in the world.
The visit program included several meetings with representatives of the British government and the private sector in London.
The visit has been stimulated by UK’s expertise in oil and gas and by existing opportunities for co-operation and exchange of best practice. British High Commissioner to Mozambique, Joanna Kuenssberg, accompanied the minister in the visit.
By collaborating and working with British experts and companies, Mozambique can maximise its potential in the sector and ensure that exploitation of mineral and energy resources has a positive impact on the country’s economic and social development. At the conference, the minister spoke of Mozambique’s energy sectors potential focusing on the business environment, the opportunities and challenges.
Apart from this, the minister was joined by representatives of the National Petroleum Institute and the National Hydrocarbons Company in a visit to the subsea international exhibition, attended by more than 150 organisations from various areas of expertise in the oil and gas sector.
In Aberdeen, the minister visited Robert Gordon University, which has a top-of-the-range oil operations simulator. Oil companies use this type of equipment to create a more concrete notion of the infrastructure needed for gas exploration and production.
In the field of education, minister Klemens and the High Commissioner of Mozambique in the United Kingdom, Filipe Chidumo, interacted with Mozambican students learning different specialties on oil and gas. Some of these students have been in the UK on a Chevening scholarship, offered by the British government.
The minister called on Aberdeen Lord Provost George Adam to strengthen partnership and co-operation between the municipalities of Aberdeen and Pemba.
In London, minister Klemens was welcomed by the FCO Minister for Africa, Tobias Ellwood, and also met Minister of State for Trade and Investment Greg Hands, and the Prime Minister’s Commercial Envoy to Mozambique, Richard Benyon.
The program closed with meetings with international companies in the energy sector and a speech by the minister, organised by Chatham House - Royal Institute for International Affairs. The minister spoke about Mozambique’s context and interacted with British companies and experts.
Notes for editors
- On Aberdeen and Pemba: there have been 2 projects funded by the British government, which aimed to train Pemba Municipality officials on skills to attract more investment
- Richard Benyon, Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Mozambique and also a member of the British Parliament, made his first visit to Mozambique in September 2016
- David Mundell, who is the Secretary of State for Scotland also paid a visit to Mozambique in February 2016
- Chevening scholarships: for the 2016/17 school year, 7 Mozambicans were awarded with scholarships from the UK government; 2 are in Scotland
Contacts
For further information, please contact: Inayah.Sultan@fco.gov.uk Sonia.Muchate@fco.gov.uk