2007.06.19: June 19, 2007: Headlines: COS - Tanzania: Diplomacy: Congress: Senate Committee on Foreign Relations: Ambassador Designate Mark Green will cooperate with other U.S. agencies and officials operating in Tanzania
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2007.06.14: June 14, 2007: Headlines: COS - Tanzania: Countriy Directors - Tanzania: Diplomacy: Peace Corps Press Release: Peace Corps strongly disagrees with Ambassador Michael Retzer's decision to withdraw the authorization for Peace Corps Country Director Christine Djondo to remain in Tanzania :
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2007.06.19: June 19, 2007: Headlines: COS - Tanzania: Diplomacy: Congress: Senate Committee on Foreign Relations: Ambassador Designate Mark Green will cooperate with other U.S. agencies and officials operating in Tanzania
Ambassador Designate Mark Green will cooperate with other U.S. agencies and officials operating in Tanzania
How will you cooperate and coordinate your efforts with other U.S. agencies and officials operating in Tanzania? Mr. Chairman, my view is that one has to operate as a team. We have to recognize that in so many parts of a country like Tanzania, the face of our nation -- the face of American foreign policy -- may be, for example, the Peace Corps volunteer working in that village, working in that clinic, or writing up at the chalkboard. It is extraordinarily important that our efforts are coordinated and supported amongst each of the programs and agencies that are a presence in Tanzania. So I will work closely by being in constant dialogue with the leaders of each of these programs in making sure that I'm giving them the resources and the help that they need to be successful, because if they don't succeed, then our overall mission doesn't succeed.
Ambassador Designate Mark Green will cooperate with other U.S. agencies and officials operating in Tanzania
Transcript: Ambassador Nominee Mark Green at Senate Foreign Relations Committee
June 19, 2007
Caption: Mark Green, nominee for US Ambassador to Tanzania
SEN. FEINGOLD: Call this hearing to order. And I'd like to begin by thanking our seven nominees for being here today and, more importantly, for your many years of service and for your willingness to work in some of the more demanding positions in the U.S. government at some of the most challenging posts in the world.
The countries to which you have been appointed cover all four of sub-Saharan Africa's distinctive regions -- east, west, southern and central -- and are unique in the challenges and opportunities they currently face.
If you are confirmed, I look forward to working closely with you at overcoming these challenges and developing the potential of these countries in an increasingly important part of the world.
I'd also like to offer a warm welcome to your families and friends whose ongoing support will be necessary as you set of on these new positions.
Given the large number of nominees this morning, I will forgo an opening statement to allow each of you to present your qualifications and objectives for your appointed position as an ambassador of the United States.
I'd like to express my sincere gratitude for your willingness to serve this country and to emphasize the significance of the role each of you, if confirmed, will play in U.S. foreign policy. I believe that diplomacy is a crucial element in America's struggle to combat extremism, defend human rights and promote stability and prosperity abroad in a way that is consistent with our values and our national and global security.
At this time, I'd like to just see if my friend and colleague -- Senator Cardin, is there anything you'd like to add?
SEN. BENJAMIN L. CARDIN (D-MD): Well, Mr. Chairman, let me just also join you in welcoming our distinguished guests today who all have distinguished careers in public service and are prepared to serve in an extremely important part of the world for the United States. And I look forward to their testimony. And again, I welcome them to our committee.
SEN. FEINGOLD: Thank you, Senator Cardin.
At this time, I'd like to invite our first panel of nominees to present your statements, after which I'll -- I look forward to engaging each of you in a brief discussion about your qualifications and expectations going into these important positions.
Thank you again for being here and for all that you do for our country.
Congressman Green, it's a pleasure to welcome a fellow Wisconsinite and, I might add, a graduate of my older daughter's alma mater, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. You are welcome to begin.
MR. GREEN: Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I'm honored to be here with you today. Please let me begin by thanking you, Mr. Chairman, and the committee, for holding this hearing and for inviting me to appear. Of course, I am grateful to the president and to Secretary Rice for the trust and confidence that they've placed in me as nominee for ambassador to the United Republic of Tanzania.
Mr. Chairman, I would also like to take a moment to pay tribute to the commitment that you have personally shown to American policy in East Africa. As a constituent, I'm proud of the many trips that you've made to the region and I'm proud of the fact that you've taken the time to meet with State Department officers in the field for their on the ground assessments.
This region is facing momentous times and it needs leaders back here who honestly care about its future.
Mr. Chairman, I share your great interest in this part of the world. I've been active in foreign policy matters for some years and I've had an especially strong interest in Africa. I've had the privilege of serving for three terms on the House International Relations Committee. I was a member of the subcommittees dealing with Africa and human rights in both the 108th and 109th Congress.
I've played a leading role in crafting the Millennium Challenge Account, that historic commitment to invest in developing nations that are pursuing political and economic reforms.
I played an important role in crafting the Global Access to HIV/AIDS Prevention, Awareness and Treatment Act and the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Act.
I worked on legislation covering critically important policy areas like human trafficking. Several years ago, I worked with the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute and the State Department as an election observer in Kenya. Before that, along with Congressman Earl Pomeroy, I traveled to West Africa with the Academy for Education Development, Oxfam and Save the Children to evaluate programs related to women's health and education in Africa.
In many ways, though, my interest in East Africa goes back much further. Twenty years ago, my wife, Sue -- and Sue is with me here today; she is the cheering section -- Sue and I had the great honor of serving as high school teachers in Kenya through a program called World Teach Project which was based at Harvard University.
Though we spent most of our time in Kenya, we had the chance to travel in the areas of western Tanzania -- rural areas as well. We lived in a small village setting and taught each day at a rural school struggling to provide rudimentary educational opportunities.
As teachers, we faced critical shortages and watched our students' families struggle with malaria and malnutrition-enhanced diseases. We ourselves were afflicted with malaria and typhoid during our time there.
In short, we saw firsthand in Kenya some of the challenges that likewise face Tanzania. Just as importantly, like you, we saw the strength and the resilience of the people in that region.
I know that we have to work closely with Tanzania to help it realize its enormous potential. That means working through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief to lead efforts to fight the spread of AIDS and to provide treatment for those who are infected. It also means working with government leaders and NGOs to bring new development opportunities to all parts of the nation.
As one of the original authors of the Millennium Challenge Act, I look forward to the opportunity to work with the Tanzanian government as it hopes to conclude an MCC compact which would be the largest compact to date. I hope that our experience in Tanzania will serve to help us back here build on the MCA and make this historic initiative stronger and even more effective.
Mr. Chairman, I know that our dealings with the government of Tanzania must be approached in a regional context. Tanzania is a crucial partner in our efforts to stop the spread of radicalism, extremism and terrorism. We must work with our regional partners to provide real economic and educational opportunities for the families there. Hope and opportunity are the best antidotes to extremism.
In addition to its work against terrorism, Tanzania's also played a constructive role in resolving regional conflicts. Its efforts to serve as an honest broker in peace negotiations are making an important contribution to East African development.
Mr. Chairman, if confirmed, it will be an honor to serve as ambassador to the United Republic of Tanzania. I promise to work relentlessly to strengthen and improve U.S.-Tanzanian relations as we push towards out common goals. I'm confident that I possess the skills and the experience necessary to lead our embassy in Dar es Salaam and to represent and advocate for the interests of the U.S. in Tanzania and in that region.
Thank you again, Mr. Chairman. And I'd be pleased to respond to any questions that you might have.
[Excerpt]
SEN. FEINGOLD: Thank you, Mr. Garvelink.
This is a particularly important post in which I have a lot of interest, so I look forward to pursuing some of these issues with you.
I thank all of you.
I'll begin the 10-minute round for this panel starting with Congressman Green.
Congressman, how will you cooperate and coordinate your efforts with other U.S. agencies and officials operating in Tanzania?
MR. GREEN: Mr. Chairman, my view is that one has to operate as a team. We have to recognize that in so many parts of a country like Tanzania, the face of our nation -- the face of American foreign policy -- may be, for example, the Peace Corps volunteer working in that village, working in that clinic, or writing up at the chalkboard. It is extraordinarily important that our efforts are coordinated and supported amongst each of the programs and agencies that are a presence in Tanzania.
So I will work closely by being in constant dialogue with the leaders of each of these programs in making sure that I'm giving them the resources and the help that they need to be successful, because if they don't succeed, then our overall mission doesn't succeed.
SEN. FEINGOLD: Congressman, I visited Tanzania in the wake of the 2002 elections and was concerned about the fraud and violence that had characterized the polls and by the subsequent opposition demonstrations, particularly in Zanzibar.
At his confirmation hearing, current Ambassador Michael Retzer assured me that he would make it a U.S. priority to improve and defend the enfranchisement of all Tanzanian people. Unfortunately, the 2005 elections were again marred by widespread allegations of voting irregularities and intimidation of opposition groups.
What steps will you take to raise respect for democratic principles and practices throughout Tanzania?
MR. GREEN: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think it's a very important question.
The good news is that with the election of President Kikwete, we have seen the third successive peaceful transfer in Tanzania as a whole. But as you pointed out, with respect to the elections -- particularly in Zanzibar -- there were widespread irregularities reported by the National Democratic Institute. The opposition party has refused to recognize the election results and has said that unless there is a negotiated settlement of some kind, they will boycott the elections in 2010.
President Kikwete has said that reconciliation in Zanzibar is his highest domestic priority. I happen to agree that in many ways, unless there is some reconciliation, unless we strengthen the democratic process in Zanzibar, it will hold back the potential of Tanzania.
On top of that, with respect to the nation as a whole, while there is certainly some very positive signs in democratic development, it's still true that the country is largely governed by one party. It's also true that an enormous amount of power is concentrated in the executive branch. And so I think for democracy to be vibrant, we need to work with the administration to ensure that there are sufficient checks and balances.
I'm aware of the project that the National Democratic Institute is undertaking right now in Tanzania. I support that. I think the early results and early reports are very interesting, and I think we should work with them and work with the administration in Tanzania to try to implement some of the reforms and suggestions so that democracy truly is vibrant and widespread.
[Excerpt]
SEN. CARDIN: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Again, let me thank all of our guests today for their service.
I would dare say that most of the people in the state of Maryland probably know very little about the poor countries in which you all are seeking to become ambassador to. And I think that's probably true in the United States. As I said in my welcome, you're choosing to serve in a part of the world that I think is very important to the United States.
I saw that in Eastern Europe and in Asia the ties between ethnic communities in the United States and those parts of the world developed ties -- economic ties, business ties -- that helped in the transformation of those countries and their economies.
So I guess my question to each of you is that I think it's very important that we develop closer economic ties between the four countries that are represented by you and our communities, and that's going to take some leadership from the ambassadors to get interest in the United States for particularly smaller companies and communities to take an interest in the part of the world that you seek to represent the United States.
And I'm just wondering what strategies you have to develop more interest in the United States in the countries that you seek to be the ambassador to.
Mr. Green, we can start with you.
MR. GREEN: Thank you, Senator. Thank you for the question.
First off, the premise of your question -- unfortunately, I think the level of awareness in many parts of the country of the countries represented here clearly isn't as great as we would like it to be. I agree, it happens to be a very important part of the world for United States interests in a number of ways and a number of fronts.
With respect to economic ties with respect to Tanzania, there are some positive developments. We have in President Kikwete a pro- Western president who has indicated publicly that he'd like to have even stronger and warmer relations with the United States. He has publicly called for greater investment in Tanzania and has made that pledge.
If I'm confirmed, what I will do is to continue to help that along by helping Tanzania address some of the barriers to increased American investment in that country. For example, despite the fact that the country is committed to the rule of law, there are still problems with corruption in both the public sector and the private sector. On top of that, there certainly are some infrastructure challenges in Tanzania, particularly in the rural areas, that I think hold back American investment.
Right now, the government of Tanzania has put forward plans for a Millennium Challenge Act Compact which would be the largest compact to date. Many of the projects -- as far as I know, many of the projects that are in their plans would be the kinds of projects that I think would help encourage American investment in that nation because it is aimed at roads, at energy, at infrastructure, and in water -- some of the very challenges that Tanzania is now facing.
On top of that, while Tanzania has benefited from AGOA -- from the African Growth and Opportunity Act -- there is still capacity there for greater growth involvement. And so, if I'm fortunate enough to be confirmed, I look forward to working with leaders in Tanzania to help develop better use of that potential.
So those are the steps that I would take.
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