The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America and the Republic of Gabon.
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Today the United States of America and the Republic of Gabon commemorate sixty-four years of diplomatic relations between our two countries and declare our intent to elevate our partnership.
Gabon's commitment to a democratic transition provides an opportunity to expand and strengthen this partnership across economic, environmental, and security sectors.
As part of this commitment to enhanced cooperation, the United States and Gabon have decided to pursue the following steps:
1. Supporting an inclusive and democratic transition
The United States recognizes that Gabon has taken important steps toward an inclusive democratic transition. The U.S. government plans to support these ongoing efforts through the African Democratic and Political Transitions (ADAPT) initiative. This initiative will support the constitutional referendum and free, fair, and transparent elections. Working in partnership with the Consortium for Elections and Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS) and the United States Institute of Peace, the U.S. government will provide technical assistance to strengthen election administration and voter education. This technical assistance will also include supporting journalists and civil society to monitor election processes throughout the transition period.
2. Promoting sustainable economic development
The United States and Gabon intend to deepen and strengthen their economic partnership to support the development of the Gabonese economy, expand trade cooperation, and increase investment.
In this regard, the United States and Gabon welcome the flagship event hosted October 1 by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce with participation from U.S. and Gabonese companies.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has developed the U.S.-Gabon Investment Guide, with the aim of encouraging increased U.S. private sector engagement.
In addition, building upon the U.S. Development Finance Cooperation (DFC)'s engagement in Gabon, including $500 million to support marine conservation through the DFC "Blue Bonds" initiative and support for the construction of a mineral and specialized bulk terminal in Owendo, the DFC plans to visit Gabon in November to explore additional investment opportunities. Finally, the United States is also pleased to announce that USAID intends to place a full-time Country Manager in Libreville in 2025.
The United States and Gabon remain committed to safeguarding Gabon's biodiversity, which will contribute to nature-based ecotourism.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, funded through USAID's Central Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE), will provide an additional $2 million to complement the current $20 million program of technical support to the Gabon National Parks Agency (ANPN). The new funding will focus on programs to effectively manage human interaction with forest elephants and potentially develop an arrangement of "sister national parks." In addition, the U.S. Forest Service, funded through CARPE, working with Congress, intends to provide Gabon with a DART mass spectrometer to combat illegal timber exports.
3. Strengthening common security objectives
The United States and Gabon share a common interest in strengthening maritime security in the Atlantic Basin. To accomplish this, the United States plans to provide technical assistance to strengthen port security, technical assistance and logistical support for Gabon's existing radar sites, and support for the creation of two new radar facilities to improve Gabon's maritime surveillance capabilities within its territorial waters. In addition, working with the U.S. Congress, the United States intends to provide maritime patrol vessels and related maintenance and operational training to support civilian efforts to combat threats to Gabon's natural resources.
In addition, the United States is committed to expanding its security partnership with Gabon and strengthening the capacity of Gabonese defense and security forces to combat security threats they face and participate in regional security efforts. To this end, the United States and Gabon are building on existing joint programs, such as Gabon's participation in the State Partnership Program with the West Virginia National Guard to provide Gabon with specialized training to enhance its emergency response capabilities. They also look to Gabon's role as host of Exercise OBANGAME EXPRESS and other opportunities to expand the scope and frequency of their security cooperation.
The United States and the Gabonese Republic hereby declare their shared intent to maintain regular contact to strengthen U.S.-Gabonese relations with the goal of establishing a stronger and more enduring comprehensive and multi-sectoral strategic partnership. In addition, the United States and Gabon are working toward the conclusion of a defense cooperation agreement.
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