Botswana finalises pending agreements with Gulf states
More airlines from the Gulf countries willing to fly to Botswana
Ambassador Augustine Makgonatsotlhe, Botswana’s representative in Kuwait, is striving to finalise all pending agreements between the two nations and particularly aims to facilitate the employment of Botswana’s teachers in the Gulf region.
In an interview with Botswana Guardian, Makgonatsotlhe, who along with 22 of his diplomatic colleagues are currently in the country for their diplomatic conference, described this moment as an excel lent opportunity for them to return home.
“We came to seek guidance from our Chief Diplomat, who is the head of state in President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi. Additionally, we aim to brief him and the government on our activities abroad, the progress in our areas of responsibility, and to share insights and support among ourselves,” he said.
Their purpose is also to learn about policy developments, laws, and programmes formulated during their absence.
Discussing the initiatives pursued by his mission in the Kuwait, Makgonatsotlhe highlighted an often- overlooked aspect that he believes holds significant potential for benefit, education.
Expressing his intent to focus on this area, he emphasised the demand for English teachers across various levels in Kuwait’s well-established schools. Makgonatsotlhe is thinking even along the lines of proposing the possibility of establishing exchange programmes with these schools and forging partnerships with universities or tertiary institutions to facilitate such endeavours.
Ma kg on at so tl he told Botswana Guardian that President Mokgweetsi Masisi has instructed Ambassadors and Envoys to actively promote Botswana wherever they are situated. This entails earnest efforts in marketing the country, seeking partnerships with investors, and ensuring the expansion of Botswana’s agricultural products into global markets.
He highlighted the potential in the Middle East for Botswana’s agricultural products to penetrate markets, citing the presence of various agricultural products from around the world in supermarkets.
While Botswana produces such goods within Africa, the primary challenge lies in encouraging farmers to shift their focus from subsistence farming to exportoriented production, promising substantial benefits.
However, achieving this goal necessitates enhancing efficiencies, adopting technological advancements, and ensuring the superior quality of Botswana’s products. Consequently, the relevant ministries, including Agriculture, Trade, and Entrepreneurship, face the challenge of supporting local producers to compete effectively on the global stage.
Although realising this vision may require time, Makgonatsotlhe emphasised the importance of dedicated individuals driving these initiatives forward.
Makgonatsotlhe recalled that several agreements among them – those pertaining to Political Consultations, Youth Sports and Culture, and Bilateral Air Services- when President Masisi paid a state visit to Qatar in 2019 and that these need to be implemented.
Notably, the Bilateral Air Services agreement paved the way for Qatar Airways to operate in Botswana, although this was interrupted by the onset of the COVID- 19 pandemic.
Currently, efforts are underway to facilitate the resumption of these flights, with ongoing discussions between relevant authorities such as the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana ( CAAB), Air Botswana, and Qatar Airways. Makgonatsotlhe acknowledged that such processes can sometimes be time- consuming but expressed optimism that they will be resolved swiftly.
He also mentioned that other airlines, including Jazeera Airways from Kuwait are interested in establishing routes to Botswana, particularly focusing on tourist destinations and cargo transportation.
“Discussions regarding these opportunities are ongoing”. He said there is a draft Agreement on Tourism which they are still negotiating with Qataris and hopefully will be signed in the not- so- distant future
There are also draft agreements concerning Political Consultations and Air Services that they intend to negotiate and conclude, alongside others on culture and trade.
“There are significant opportunities in the Gulf region that should be pursued. I am hopeful that within the next year or so, we will have made substantial progress in this regard,” he said.
In terms of marketing tourism, so far, they have managed to use some of the media houses especially in the Kuwait and UAE which advertise Botswana tourism in articles authored in the Arabic language. He said locals there are interested especially in Safari excursions except for the challenge of the ban on trophy hunting.
He remarked on the abundant opportunities in sports and culture within the Gulf countries, citing Qatar’s successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup as an example from which Botswana could draw valuable lessons, especially if it harbours ambitions to host similar events in the future.
Makgonatsotlhe emphasised the advanced status of sports in these nations, highlighting Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2030 as indicative of their prowess in this field. He advocated for closer alignment with these countries to glean insights and knowledge from their preparations.