03 Jul 2024

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi says Botswana Oil has initiated discussions with Namibia Petroleum Corporation to explore the possibilities of establishing shared oil storage facilities in Walvis Bay.

Officially opening the Swakopmund International Trade Expo in Namibia yesterday, President Masisi said the discussions included joint fuel transportation and coordinated approaches towards sourcing oil from Angola, adding that both countries had been offered an equity stake in Angola’s oil refinery.

In that regard, he called for more collaborations in the energy sector between the two countries.

Dr Masisi applauded Namibia for its remarkable achievement since independence and a seamless and democratic exchange of political power. 

He said it was admirable that Namibia had emerged as a key hub of oil exploration and green hydrogen development and that it was poised to raise the country to unprecedented heights of economic prosperity.

He credited the expo for encompassing business seminars on issues pertinent to the business community and general economic activities as well as exploring new business opportunities.

Appreciating the organisers, President Masisi said they achieved notable milestones since 2012, adding that he was reliably informed that the expo was led by the private sector to create wealth for the country and promote trade and investment.

He said it was critical to allocate more resources to the expo in an effort to enhance intra-Africa trade under the Africa free trade protocol. He observed that African nations were working to undo misconceptions that they were not sufficiently trading amongst themselves. 

Noting that intra-Africa trade currently stood at 15 per cent, he said there was ample room for improvement and that SADC leaders had pledged to facilitate uninterrupted movement of people, goods and capital across countries in order to intensify trade within the continent.

He said Botswana believed that the wealth of information that would be exchanged during the expo would bridge the information disparity and motivate private companies to achieve unprecedented levels of business expansion.

He said he was hopeful that Namibian enterprises would collaborate with their Botswana counterparts to increase their market share, noting the historical and cultural bond between Botswana and Namibia.

 He added that the intimate partnership and solidarity between the two nations stemmed from a shared commitment to freedom and dignity.

President Masisi said the special relationship should be cemented by bilateral agreements in sectors such as agriculture, water, defence and security as well as transportation and logistics.

The President also said he believed that the dry port facility in Walvis Bay and the recent accord enabling citizens of both countries to cross each others borders using their identity cards was aligned with the SADC protocol on the facilitation of movement of persons’ treaty.

He said the comparative advantages that both countries had should be seized, adding that both nations were yet to fully tap into the myriad of opportunities presented by their bilateral relations. 

He noted that the two nations bilateral relations were primarily on the diamond sector, emphasising that a lot could still be done.

He noted that Namibia was procuring vaccines from Botswana for livestock diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease and lung disease and said the same could be extended to vaccines for human diseases.

He said the envisioned Trans-Kalahari railway line was crucial to enhance transportation of goods to and from the two nations and the SADC region. 

He added that opportunities to enhance collaboration and cooperation were present in both countries as they shared interest in various sectors such as animal disease protocols, tourism, diamond trading and wildlife conservation.

President Masisi also noted that the two countries had approved the establishment of a one stop border post at Mamuno.  Ends