Masisi calls for fasttracking of outstanding Pacts
Botswana and Namibia have amplified their cooperation with additional bilateral cooperation instruments, signed during the two countries’ Bi- National Commission ( BNC).
The additional instruments covered arts and culture; defense and security; science and technology; trade and investment; as well as youth and sports development.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the BNC, President Mokgweetsi Masisi explained that the engagements are only as meaningful as the results they bear, and the positive impact they have on improving the livelihoods of the people of the two countries. In addition, he said there is a need to fast- track the finalisation of all the outstanding Agreements and MoUs, with a view to further broaden and deepen the scope of the existing bilateral cooperation agenda. According to Masisi, they had very fruitful, friendly yet frank discussions, conducted in an atmosphere of mutual trust, openness, and respect. He expressed delight that this is, indeed, typical of the longstanding, excellent bilateral relations that so happily subsist between the sisterly countries.
The president said he has no doubt that the decisions and commitments they have made will contribute significantly to the objectives of economic transformation in the two countries, and uplifting the livelihoods of the people and compatriots. “While these challenges continue to be felt at all levels of our societies, the silver lining is that valuable lessons have been learned from our shared experiences.
“These include the need to scale up our efforts towards self- sufficiency, especially in the agricultural sector; strengthening our strategic trade dimensions, given the regularity and frequency of disruptions to global supply chains in current times; expediting industrialisation in our countries and across the region, by developing and capacitating our manufacturing and energy sectors; as well as identifying and exploiting strategic areas of comparative and competitive advantage, so as to elevate our cooperation to higher and more mutually beneficial levels.”