6 June 2005

Guest of Honour – Hon. Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, Chairman of Nyerere Foundation
Excellencies
Members of the diplomatic corps
Officials of the Tanzanian Government
Members of the Swedish Community in Tanzania
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

A very warm welcome to all of you joining us in the celebration of the Swedish National Day! A special welcome to Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, who needs no introduction. He is a well known personality also in Sweden. I am very pleased that you, Dr Salim Salim could take time off amidst your international engagements and to be the guest of honour tonight.

I would like to start by congratulating all members of the Swedish Community here in Tanzania on the Swedish National Day. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank you for your contributions to further Swedish-Tanzanian relations and particularly in the development of Tanzania.

It was in the 1970s that the 6th of June became the Swedish National Day. Today the National Day may be celebrated a little bit more than previous years. This year, the 6th of June has been introduced as a Public Holiday in Sweden. For the first time, we can now devote the whole day to celebrate the election of Gustav Vasa as king of Sweden in 1523, and the signing of the Swedish constitution in 1809 marking important events in Swedish Nation Building and consolidation of  a democratic society.

Following the decision of making 6th of June into a Public Holiday there is an intensive debate in Sweden on Why do we have a National Day? Is it really necessary in these days when globalization takes hold of all of us? And how can immigrants and new citizens of today’s multicultural Sweden relate to some historic events taken place some 200 or 500 years ago? International cooperation in various forms at various levels (global, regional, sub-regional) is required and much more important to meet today’s challenges and make this world a better world to live in  for all of us. This debate has also been fuelled by recent results of referenda on the new EU constitution and I am sure the debate will continue.

What unites the Swedish population of today besides the language is maybe - after all - the democratic culture, the equality, individual security and the enjoyment of human rights and the seeking of continued improvements in these fields coupled with a general welfare based on a long period of economic growth.
 
This year of 2005 is special for several reasons. 100 years ago the Union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved. This is commemorated both in Sweden and Norway. The Union was dissolved peacefully and Norwegians and Swedes have managed to uphold extremely close relations ever since - also during quite difficult times in Europe. Maybe we in Sweden are a bit more fond of Unions than our Norwegian neighbours are, so we joined another Union – the EU some 90 years later.

We also commemorate one of the greatest international leaders of the 20th century, Dag Hammarskjold, the second Secretary General of the United Nations 1953-1961. By the way the first Secretary-General of the UN was a Norwegian  Trygve Lie. Dag Hammarskjold was born 100 years ago. The small exhibition you see here is part of the tribute to his legacy. The exhibition’s title Peace in Mind marks how Dag
Hammarskjold’s private sphere influenced his devotion to peace that he pursued in office.

He died in 1961 while negotiating peace in the Congo. The plane carrying him to another round of peace talks crashed close to Ndola in Zambia. His legacy is as essential today as half a century ago. Hammarskjold made at least two important contributions to the UN: peacekeeping operations and preventive diplomacy. Two pillars that is at the core of Swedish foreign policy, and of course of the daily work of the UN.

Hammarskjold’s strive for peace is carried forward by today’s members of the UN. I congratulate Tanzania on her seat in the Security Council and wish her all the best in this crucial work. As a stable and respected country in a region plagued with conflicts, Tanzania is an important member of the UN family in general and the Security Council in particular.

Here in Tanzania, we are very pleased to celebrate our National Day with friends and colleagues, who are part of our daily work. The excellent and close relationship between Sweden and Tanzania has developed over more than 40 years. The Swedish development cooperation with Tanzania covers several areas including the following:
General Budget Support,
Support to Primary Education
Strengthening of Research Capacity in Tanzania
Private Sector Development
Energy Sector Development
Governance, Democracy and Human Rights
District development,
Culture
Care & Treatment of the HIV/Aids infected
ICT for development

The Swedish development cooperation in Tanzania is this year reaching a disbursement level of some USD 100 million. The Swedish Government has taken a decision to increase its total aid budget to again reach 1% of its GNP next year. A considerable part of this increase will be earmarked for Africa.

Sweden is strongly committed to its development partnership and is actively supporting Tanzanian efforts in improving aid effectiveness. We are convinced that with joint efforts and hard work, this beautiful and rich country will be able to develop to its full potential. Sweden stands ready to provide continued support in Tanzania’s important endeavour.
To conclude I propose a toast to H.E. the President of the United Republic of Tanzania.