President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah last week welcomed six accredited heads of mission.
This marks a renewed commitment to strengthen bilateral relations and economic cooperation.
The envoys, representing the United Kingdom (UK), Qatar, Peru, Colombia, Angola and Bangladesh, presented their credentials during a formal ceremony at State House on Wednesday.
They are Neil Bradley (UK and Northern Ireland), Mubarak Bin Nasser Mubarak Alkhalifa (Qatar) and Peru’s Jose Javier Augusto Shaw.
Others are ambassadors Maria del Rosario Mina Rojas (Colombia), Angola’s Pedro Mutindi and Shah Ahmed Shafi from Bangladesh.
Bradley and Mutindi will serve from their diplomatic missions in Namibia.
The rest are non-resident but concurrently accredited to Namibia.
During the event, the new diplomats pledged to work closely with Namibia to boost trade, create jobs, particularly for the youth, as well as collaborate on education, climate change and cultural exchange.
President Nandi-Ndaitwah highlighted the importance of these partnerships in advancing national development goals and fostering mutual prosperity.
Receiving the credentials, the President reaffirmed her administration’s commitment to strengthening international cooperation.
She said “Namibia remains committed to deepening bilateral relations and working with our partners for mutual benefit, particularly in areas that impact our youth and economic resilience”.
Among the new diplomats who spoke to this journalist was Bradley, the new British High Commissioner to Namibia, who outlined an ambitious agenda focused on economic growth and job-creation.
“Economic growth is a number one priority – not just for Namibia but also for the UK,” he said.
He added: “So, trade and investment that creates the jobs and livelihoods that improve people’s lives – that would be the top priority”.
Bradley stressed the broader nature of the bilateral relationship, highlighting common Commonwealth ties and mutual commitments to global challenges, such as climate change.
“Namibia has recently faced a severe drought. This is a shared concern and an area where we can work together,” he said.
He noted efforts to strengthen youth development and cultural exchange through programmes like UK scholarships.
“We want to empower the next generation of Namibians,” he added.
“Whether it’s through education, sport or culture, these are opportunities where our countries can grow together,” he stated.
The ambassador of Colombia Rojas voiced her optimism about expanding cooperation in areas that are critical to Namibia’s development.
“We were discussing with the President about areas of cooperation in education and economics, particularly promoting more trade between Colombia and Namibia and youth training to enhance capacity for new jobs,” said Rojas.
She highlighted shared interests between the two nations on global platforms, including issues such as reparations, women’s participation in development and South-South cooperation.
“Bilateral relations have always been very good,” Rojas remarked.
“But we want to build a very meaningful relationship – one that strengthens alliances and achieves goals that matter for our people,” she said.
Other newly accredited envoys from Qatar, Peru, Angola and Bangladesh conveyed their countries’ readiness to deepen diplomatic and economic engagement with Namibia during the presentation of the letters to the President.