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By Ambassador Julie Furuta-Toy
Greetings. This is my final day as United States Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea. I want to thank you for your hospitality and for the wonderful memories that I will always cherish of my time here.
As I depart, I wanted to take a moment to leave you with some thoughts. When I arrived in this beautiful country three years ago, I told President Obiang that my goals were to work with Equatorial Guinea to expand democratic space, diversify its economy, and to ensure that U.S. programs help the people of Equatorial Guinea reach for success.
Some non-governmental organizations do not have the space they need to speak frankly with the people of Equatorial Guinea. A vibrant civil society can contribute greatly to addressing challenges that countries face – and can in fact advance government programs and policies in support of the citizenry. No matter whether the NGOs work with ten people or a thousand people, they are neither members of the government, nor members of the parties. They are citizens of their country and deserve the respect of the government and all of the political parties.
And to diversify the economy, Equatorial Guinea must continue efforts to improve the business climate, taking concrete actions to attract more investment here. The “one-stop shop” should facilitate and explain the business climate in the country. I know that your government has promised a new system to apply for visas online. These would be positive steps, and I have high hopes for them.
It has been a pleasure serving as Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea. I wish you all the best.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of U.S. Embassy in Equatorial Guinea.