Mr. Minister of Economic Affairs and Development
Members of the Government
Mr. President of CENI
Madame Secretary General
Madame Representative of the UNDP
Fellow Ambassadors
Ladies and gentlemen

I have the pleasure to witness the signing ceremony of this agreement, for which the United States is contributing a total of $200,000 to the UNDP Basket Fund for financing elections in Mauritania.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

This amount represents only a part of the American contribution in the organization of these elections.  The total contribution will be nearly one million dollars.  It will allow us to finance a program to be carried out by NDI, spread out over several years.  To that can be added numerous other funds available to the Embassy for encouraging the development of democracy, liberties, and the organization of free and transparent elections in Mauritania.   

Ladies and Gentlemen:

As you know, this donation comes at a crucial time in the life of this country.  It comes within the framework of the efforts made by the international community, particularly the United Nations and the African Union, to contribute to the organization of free and transparent elections in Mauritania.  We Americans express our total support for these efforts aimed at ultimately building a prosperous and democratic society in Mauritania.

Thank you

Joseph LeBaron
United States Ambassador in Mauritania
Nouakchott, May 11, 2006.