WELCOME MESSAGE

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the 2nd edition of the Access Africa Forum, this time focused exclusively on Mozambique. The Access Africa Forum is dedicated to promoting partnerships for increased trade and investment in Lusophone Africa. This conference will feature business and government leaders from Portugal, the United States and Mozambique.

Mozambique has grown at an average annual rate of 9% this decade, one of Africa's strongest performances.  Portugal maintains a close and productive relationship with Mozambique and Lusophone Africa through its common language, direct transport links, shared legal framework, and longstanding business ties. It is therefore uniquely positioned to serve as an effective “gateway” for companies seeking business opportunities in these markets.

Portuguese exports to Mozambique increased by 18% in 2010.  In 2011 , Portugal had more than 1500 companies exporting to Mozambique and over 250 with investment projects.  Significant Portuguese investment capital is also found in 28 out of the top 100 Mozambican companies.

I sincerely hope you’ll take advantage of this opportunity to learn about the Mozambican market and opportunities, the partnership potential, and the programs available to make your business succeed this political and economically stable country.

I also encourage you to stay tuned to this website, where we will post all conference materials and presentations after the event. It is our intent to make this the beginning of a dynamic process to continue the cooperation and opportunities created by this conference.

Ambassador Allan J. Katz
U.S. Ambassador to Portugal