George Sanzila
ISTANBUL - National Assembly Speaker Peter Katjavivi and his Turkish counterpart Numan Kurtulmuş have reinforced the two countries’ long-standing bilateral relations by signing a Memorandum of Understanding.
The MoU, aimed at enhancing parliamentary cooperation between the two legislatures, was signed last week in Istanbul, following Katjavivi’s official visit to Turkey at the invitation of Kurtulmuş.
The agreement will cover joint meetings between the two legislatures’ standing committees, and exchange visits by administrative staff for the purpose of an exchange of experience and information on legislation and other parliamentary activities.
Katjavivi noted that Turkey and Namibia shared a common bond which dates to the time of the struggle for independence. The two countries also continue to abide by the same values of respect for human rights and world peace. “Our bond comes a long way, dating back to the difficult times of the struggle for independence. We continue to work together today because we share a lot in common and our countries were born out of struggle, hence our identical position on issues such as the plight of the Palestinian people and that of Western Sahara. This visit is intended to cement our relationship”, Katjavivi said.
He noted that the recently-created parliamentary friendship group between the two parliaments could serve as a transmission belt between the two institutions. He further implored the group to look at pertinent issues such as Namibia’s ambitious green hydrogen project. “The MoU will concretise the friendship group, and allow them to engage on issues of mutual interest. I urge them to concentrate more on value- addition. Over N$8 billion has been invested in the green hydrogen project, but we never hear of capacity-building. Therefore, we need cooperation to boost our infrastructure, technology and training. The friendship group could also look at relevant legislation, and coordinate partnerships with institutions of higher learning”, pleaded Katjavivi.
Value-addition
He added that the recently-announced directive to halt the export of natural resources in raw form by Cabinet can only be applied when Namibia prioritises capacity-building initiatives. At the moment, Namibia’s economy is still heavily-dependent on the primary industries, without much value-addition. This reliance has resulted in the lack of job-creation because raw materials are exported in raw form and refined and processed elsewhere, he lamented.
“There was a decision recently in Namibia that we should not be exporting our resources in raw form. We have also discovered oil and gas, and have embarked upon green hydrogen with big investments. This presents a challenge for universities in terms of training. We, therefore, need collaboration in order to stop the tendency of exporting our resources in raw form, and actually add value”, reiterated Katjavivi.
The Turkish Speaker offered his condolences to the Namibian people on the passing of late president Hage Geingob, and expressed his parliament’s willingness to collaborate more with Namibia as his country has been on a path to deepen relations with Namibia in particular, and Africa in general.
“Namibia and Turkey’s relations go back to the 1960’s during the struggle for independence. Turkey has been one of the UN member countries which served on the UN Council for Namibia. Bilateral relations were further boosted during your tenure as ambassador, including the role you played in facilitating TIKA to go to Namibia in 2014. We have deepened our relations with Africa through our Africa partnership programme based on mutually-beneficial relations. We have been insisting on the opening of a Namibian embassy in Turkey”, said Kurtulmuş.
TIKA, an agency of the Turkish government focusing on development cooperation, recently assisted the National Assembly at a critical time during the Covid-19 pandemic by digitalising its conference rooms, through its e-parliament strategy.
In addition to the assistance offered through TIKA, the Turkish government has over the years sponsored over 15 000 African students, including Namibians, by providing them with scholarships to pursue different fields of study at the country’s universities.
The Turkish Speaker bemoaned trade and investment volumes between the two countries, which he said were negligible, and that there was an urgent need for investment promotion. “Trade relations between the two countries are not so good, but there could be improvements and opportunities, particularly in the areas of tourism. This is something we can explore through this cooperation”, urged Kurtulmuş. Both Speakers were joined by newly-appointed honorary consul for Namibia in Istanbul, Gunnur Diker, who is expected to champion economic cooperation between the two countries. Diker is also expected to visit Namibia soon.
Technology
At a meeting with the rector of the Istanbul Technical University, Ismail Koyuncu and his management, that preceded his talks with Kurtulmuş, Katjavivi reiterated the need for cooperation between institutions of higher learning in order to build capacities.
He noted during the meeting that the recent discovery of oil and gas here also required Namibians to be equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to add value to their own resources. The Speaker further stated that the development of solar energy could alleviate high energy and water costs for farmers, and help improve food self-sufficiency.
The Turkish Speaker commended Namibia for its commitment to world peace, and its desire to see an end to the killings of Palestinians in Gaza by Israel and the self-determination of the people of the Western Sahara. Namibia recently made a presentation at the International Court of Justice in the Hague, Netherlands, in the case of the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
Katjavivi, who is accompanied on the mission by lawmakers who make up the Namibia-Turkey parliamentary friendship group, including Tobie Aupindi, Vincent Mareka and Winnie Moongo, is also expected to meet Turkish leader Recep Erdogan
*George Sanzila works in the Division: Research, Information, Publications and Editorial Services*