By Catherine Sasman WINDHOEK Since the beginning of this year, Namibia has had a slew of state visits, bolstered by high-level political and heavy business delegations, followed by a raft of agreements concluded between the public and private sectors with the foreign guests. And more state visits are in the offing, with the president of Singapore expected to arrive in the country today, and anticipated visits from South Africa, Angola and Japan later in the year. Also in the pipeline this year, confirmed Ambassador Wilbard Helao, who heads the Bilateral Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is a visit by President Hifikepunye Pohamba to the United Kingdom, and various other European nations. These visits, said Helao, signify a strong interest from other nations in Namibia, arguing that it is not a “new interest” but rather a response to Namibia’s call for bigger participation in its economic growth. “These are good indicators that Namibia has a vibrant democracy. We have a very peaceful, predictable and stable political and economic climate, and countries are eager to do business with us.” Economist in the research department of the Bank of Namibia, Vitalis Ndalikokule, echoed this sentiment: “Namibia is in the unique situation that it has political stability – as well as a broad natural resource base – which investors find very attractive. “The world is moving towards increased trade. This interest in Namibia shows that the country is taking a serious step to promote trade and investment, which in turn gives more opportunities for it to market its products.” The Singaporean delegation, said Helao, has shown interest in human resources development, bio-fuel development and energy concerns, as well as agricultural development. So far, the Zimbabwean and Zambian state visits, he noted, should bring about greater regional trade and closer cooperation, notably in the energy and education sectors. The planned South African visit, he added, will focus on discussions around special development initiatives, notably in the tourism sector, as well as the development of the Trans-Kalahari corridor. An agreement had also been signed between Namibia and its southern neighbour in August 2004 regarding the exploration of the Kudu gas field. Japan has similarly shown interest in the development of Kudu gas, he added. In addition, a bilateral agreement has been concluded with Japan for infrastructural development, in particular for a 400-km extension of the Trans-Kalahari Highway along the Namibia-Angola border. “I don’t think this apparent increase in interest in Namibia is due to a fantastic foreign policy,” commented Daniel Motinga, director of the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). “One of the things is that particularly the Asian countries are positioning themselves globally and they all want a slice of Africa’s rich mineral resources. This is something Namibia can exploit strategically. “The Russians and Chinese are the most prominent countries that are in a resource rush and Japan is countervailing,” added Motinga. “The Namibian Government and businesses should not, however, think that we have all these friends, but should be mindful of a sustainable and economically viable use of its resources.” Political analyst Phanuel Kaapama said within a globalised world, Namibia needs to establish economic ties with other countries, arguing that Namibia’s strategic geo-political set-up in southern Africa comes in good stead. “Apart from South Africa, we also have a very efficient infrastructure and a good deepwater port important to penetrate the rest of the SADC markets. It could be that the cumulative impact of our growth plans and stability are starting to be realized.” Ambassador Helao also encouraged local businesses to make use of the opportunities that can come with such collaboration.