The International relations executive director Ambassador Penda Naanda has said the 6th Session of the Namibia-Botswana Permanent
Joint Commission of Cooperation (JCC) is a testament of the two countries’ strong bonds of friendship.
Naanda said this while presiding over the opening of the senior official meeting of the virtual 6th Session of the Namibia-Botswana Permanent
Joint Commission of Cooperation yesterday.
Namibia is hosting the joint commission meeting, which kickedoff yesterday with senior officials meeting that will be followed by the ministers’ meeting on Thursday. The virtual joint commission meeting comes against the backdrop of the recent working visit by Botswana Mokgweetsi
Masisi to Namibia, where the two countries agreed to elevate their joint commission mechanism to a Bi-National Commission (BNC).
The session, which will be the last, will be held in preparation for the inaugural session of the BNC to be co-chaired by President
Hage Geingob and Botswana his counterpart Masisi.
Botswana will host the inaugural session of the BNC. “Our cooperation has continued to grow from strength to strength. This is evidenced by the multitude of joint programs and projects agreed and implemented over that period, coupled with frequent high-level reciprocal visits, the most recent of which was last month’s successful Working Visit to Namibia by your Head of State,” Naanda said yesterday.
On his par t, Botswana permanent secretary in the Ministry of International Affairs and Cooperation Gaeimelwe Goitsemang said the elevation of bilateral cooperation mechanisms between the two countries demonstrates the commitment of the two nation’s principals to take
the friendship and cooperation to even higher levels.
“It will undoubtedly deepen and strengthen the bilateral relations, as well as the bonds of friendship that exist between our two countries,”
he said. Goitsemang believes that the two nations should take full advantage of the meeting – not only to take stock of progress
made in the implementation of our commitments but to also explore further opportunities that can be exploited for the mutual benefit of
our countries.
The joint commission will, amongst others, review the implementation of the bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding in a wide range of sectors such as trade and investment, education, health, environment, tourism, energy, fisheries, cross border connectivity, regional and local government.
The two countries will also discuss the operationalisation of their joint approach to vaccine procurement, delivery, regulatory approval, vaccination of citizens in either country, as well as addressing community readiness and engagement for vaccine acceptance as agreed to during the working visit by Masisi last month.
Four bilateral agreements in the areas of diplomatic matters, trade and investment, legal matters and energy resources are expected to
be signed.
- ktjitemisa@nepc.com.na