Diplomats urged to protect national interests
President Hage Geingob on Friday advised 11 newly appointed ambassadors to protect the country’s sovereignty, strengthen ties and promote trade and investment with their host countries.
The new diplomats are due to depart for US, Germany, Tanzania, Republic of Congo, Ghana, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Malaysia, Senegal, Switzerland and the UN office in Geneva, Belgium and European Union in January 2021.
Sipapela Cletius Sipapela will represent the country in the Congo, Mekondjo Kaapanda-Girnus in Belgium and the European Union, Margareth Mensah-Williams in the US, Martin Andjaba in Germany and Mbapeua Muvangua in Brazil.
Selma Ashipala-Musavyi is the new ambassador to Ghana, Lebbeus Tobias in Tanzania, Nicklaas Kandjii to Zimbabwe, Julia Chanduru-Imene to Switzerland and United Nations Office in Geneva and Elvis Shiweda to Senegal. Charles Josob was redeployed from Ghana to Finland.
“The national interest of Namibia and the wellbeing of its people should be at the forefront of all your activities. Whatever you will be doing as Namibia’s ambassadors must translate into tangible benefits for the Namibian people and contribute to our developmental agenda, as well as our quest to build a united, peaceful and prosperous Namibian house, in which no one should feel left out,” Geingob told the newly appointed diplomats.
“Our foreign policy is an extension of our domestic policy. The social and economic wellbeing of all our people is paramount. Therefore, you should be cognizant at all times of the socio-economic challenges in our country and how we are trying to address them,” he said.
“During your diplomatic tour, I expect Namibia to gain more trading partners. You must endeavour to find niche markets for our products, as well as to work towards improving our image and global competitiveness rankings,” he added.
He said as the world is moving on a fast pace towards the fourth industrial revolution, the world is changing in many areas such as science and technology, climate change and geopolitics.
For that reason, he said diplomats are required to keep themselves up-to-date with such happenings and provide the government with appropriate policy perspectives on how to effectively navigate its path towards success.
“The task of building an inclusive and caring Namibian house, free from tribalism, regionalism, racism, and divisions is one we must pursue and defend strongly,” Geingob said.
In this context, he urges the newly appointed diplomats to serve all Namibian nationals that they will be encountering in their host countries to the best of their abilities and with utmost courtesy, as they are their bosses.
Speaking on behalf of the newly appointed diplomats, Mensah-Williams said the world is a dynamic place and has become even more so during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, which has devastated the global economy.
She said the fourth industrial revolution has redefined the world, as we know it.
“Namibia is not immune, and neither is it an exception. We are determined to use the tools at our disposal to build strong international partnerships and alliances that can aid us as we strive for economic recovery, resilience and transformation during an unprecedented and extraordinary period in the history of humankind,” she said.
She also called on fellow ambassadors and high commissioners to push in the same direction and support each other from their respective duty stations with a common purpose and determination to promote and defend the national interests of Namibia.