10 Sep 2024

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi  has expressed heartfelt gratitude for Egypt’s contributions to international peacekeeping efforts.

Dr Masisi was speaking  during a farewell courtesy call by outgoing Egyptian ambassador Mr Ahmed Taher Elfadly at the Office of the President yesterday.

He praised Egypt’s engagement in international forums, particularly the African Union Peace and Security Council, highlighting its crucial role in fostering peace across the continent. He  reflected on Egypt’s ongoing efforts to broker peace in Gaza, recognising the country as a long-term partner in Botswana’s development journey.

“Botswana has benefitted immensely from Egypt in its early years through human-capital development,” said President Masisi. He expressed optimism for future bilateral engagements, commending Mr Elfadly for his dedication throughout his four-year tenure.

 “It has been a real refreshing experience to have you as an ambassador. Your purpose-driven ambition and commitment to being impactful in Botswana, despite not being a resident ambassador, has been commendable. You have excelled in fostering closer relations between our countries through your exceptional diplomatic skills,” President Masisi said..

In response, Mr Elfadly shared his pride in the successful initiatives during his tenure, including a recent medical mission in Molepolole where an Egyptian team of medical experts conducted 300 cataract surgeries at the Scottish Livingstone Hospital.

“It was heartening to meet patients whose vision has been restored after years of darkness. We are committed to renewing our Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for five more years to bring these medical missions back,” he noted.

Mr Elfadly assured that future missions would expand beyond cataract surgeries to include specialised care in orthopedics, pediatrics, oncology, and gynaecology.

He acknowledged the team’s achievement of completing 300 surgeries within a week, despite a waiting list of 4 600 patients, and expressed the need for more advanced equipment to increase capacity.

On other issues, Mr Elfadly said there was still a lot that could be done, particularly in agriculture and infrastructure. He stressed the need to implement the Agro-Zambezi project to help with irrigation at the Pandamatenga farms.

He also discussed the critical role of the Kazungula Bridge for the Cape-to-Cairo trade route and emphasised the need to engage developers who shared the same vision for the area as  government.

Moreover, Mr Elfadly mentioned that Arab Constructors, an Egyptian state-owned contractor, were interested in coming back to Botswana to do road projects, and that they were working on identifying a local partner to transfer knowledge and skills. ENDS