President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah yesterday highlighted the importance of Namibia’s long-standing relationship with North Korea.
“As a country, we really value the relationship between Namibia and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. It is good that we find time to consult and strengthen our ties now and then,” the President stated during a courtesy visit by the North Korean ambassador to Namibia, Jong Song II.
The Head of State made these remarks before the media were requested to leave the conference room.
Following their closed-door meeting, Ambassador Jong echoed the President’s sentiments, describing their discussions as excellent and productive.
In an interview with journalists, he said “I have the honour to make the courtesy call on Her Excellency President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah. We had productive discussions to further strengthen the bilateral relations between our two countries”.
Jong recalled the historical support given by North Korea to Namibia’s liberation struggle.
“The relations between our two countries were formed even before Namibia’s independence. President Kim Il-sung and comrade Kim Jong-il actively supported the just struggle of the Namibian people for liberation and freedom, giving both material and spiritual assistance,” the diplomat said.
The ambassador stressed that both countries are ready to deepen their cooperation.
“It is our firm conviction that both countries will work very hard for that purpose,” he added.
When asked about specific areas of cooperation, Jong did not go into detail.
“We discussed with Her Excellency the President the interesting relations to further develop strength – not only in politics, but also in other areas. But I am not in a position to say the specific areas here,” he told the media.
North Korea has played a significant role in Namibia’s development after independence.
It was responsible for constructing several key national projects, including the Independence Memorial Museum in Windhoek, the new State House, and beginning work on the headquarters of the Namibian Defence Force (NDF).
However, construction on the NDF headquarters’ project was later halted in 2017 due to international sanctions placed on North Korea.
When asked whether there were plans to revive these construction projects, Jong called it a “very sensitive issue”, declining to provide further details.
“We already discussed with the President and relevant officials in the past to expand and develop cooperation between our two countries”, he stated.
On the topic of future partnerships, he confirmed that talks are underway.
Photo : Heather Erdmann