On the afternoon of June 23 local time, the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation Square was held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Vice President Li Yuanchao of China and Prime Minister Pinda of Tanzania attended this ceremony, and unveiled the foundation stone plate for the project together. Mr. Lv Youqing, China’s ambassador to Tanzania, Mr. Joseph Butiku, Executive Director of the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation, Mr. Dan Kasirye, representative of the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group, Mr. Dai Hegen, President of China Railway Group Limited (CREC), Mr. Ma Li, Vice President of CREC and Mr. Duan Yongchuan, General Manager of CRCEG were also present.
Before the ceremony, Vice President Li Yuanchao visited the construction site of the MNF Square, and listened to the report of Mr. Dai Hegen about CREC’s development in Tanzania and other foreign countries and regions. Vice President Li Yuanchao fully recognized the contributions made by Chinese enterprises represented by CREC in Tanzania, and encouraged CREC to continue to implement the national strategy of “going global”, set up the good model for local and Chinese companies, and make further contributions to the friendship between the two peoples. Besides, Vice President Li Yuanchao made an inscription for the project, i.e. “to build the MNF Square a project of high quality, safety, integrity and friendship”. When making a speech during this ceremony, Mr. Dai Hegen expressed that the construction of the MNF Square will play a positive role in improving the infrastructure facilities of local tourism and promoting economic and social development of Dar es Salaam. CREC will give full play to its advantages in technology, management and personnel, and build MNF Square into a landmark project of Tanzania. Meanwhile, CREC will continue to give more concern to Tanzania, and seek more cooperation opportunities with all walks of life in Tanzania, thus making new contributions to the friendship between the two countries.
The MNF Square is the first South-South Cooperation project supported and invested by the World Bank Group, and also the first high-end project developed by China and an African country. It is believed to gain more popularity for CREC in Tanzania, further promote the vigorous development of Chinese companies in Tanzania, and write a new chapter for the friendship between China and Tanzania.