It is with great pleasure that I am participating today in this signing ceremony for an amendment to the Grant Agreement between the Republic of Djibouti and the United States. This amendment adds 2.5 million U.S. dollars to the existing contribution of USAID to support the efforts of the government in its journey to socio-economic self reliance.
For me, this ceremony marks my official debut in your beatufiul country. It also reaffirms the partnership between our two governments.
This signature takes place at a moment when our two countries are touched by a global pandemic. We are observing a significant reduction in active cases of COVID-19 in Djibouti. I congratulate the government for their excellent work. The government of Djibouti has done an admirable job in fighting the spread of the pandemic, and we applaud them for their efforts.
The United States stands with you to prevent the spread of this epidemic. In response to a call for solidarity put forth by your government, the American people have put forward this supplemental funding. This funding will support small and medium sized businesses, as well as communities particularly impacted by COVID-19.
To date, the contribution of the United States to Djibouti to fight the pandemic, including contributions from the U.S. military and other agencies, is nearly 5 million U.S. dollars.
To conclude, I would like to reiterate the willingness of the United States to strengthen the cooperation between our two countries.
Thank you.
