24 January 2009, 01:11
KathiTanzania wildlife conservation on Obama's list
Tanzania wildlife conservation plan on Obama’s list
By Our Correspondent From The Arusha Times
The Leon Sullivan Summit held in Arusha in June last year seems to have started to bear fruits.
Following discussions between President Jakaya Kikwete and and Dick Kempthome US secretary of the interior during the Summit, a Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral cooperation and exchange in wildlife and natural resources conservation, between Tanzania and the Government the United States was signed in Washington DC last week.
The Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania to the United States His Excellency Ombeni Sefue signed the memorandum on behalf of Tanzania while Kempthorne signed on behalf of his government.
According to the signed document areas of cooperation include: Conservation of wildlife inside and outside of the protected areas; Implementation of the Multilateral Environmental Agreements(MEAs) and in particular the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and fauna (CITES; Development of wildlife training facilities and Sustainable eco-tourism infrastructure and programs.
The signing of the memorandum happened when President George W. Bush had less than 4 days before leaving the office. The memorandum will now be implemented by the new US President Barack Obama.