17 Sep 2024

The inaugural session of the political consultations between Botswana and Estonia underscores commitment by the two countries to build stronger and more rigid ties.

Officially opening the meeting in Gaborone yesterday, Deputy Permanent Secretary-Bilateral Diplomacy in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Clifford Maribe said the platform served as the first step towards deepening relations.

He said convening such a meeting immediately after the recent state visit by Estonia President, Mr Alar Karis would not only strengthen the bond of friendship but forge way towards a future of enhanced cooperation.

He said the political consultations were a unique opportunity to engage in thoughtful discussions, exchange innovative ideas and brainstorm new ways of enhancing existing collaboration.

“It is imperative that we seize this opportunity to assess our progress to commitments made during our previous discussions. We must also be willing to identify challenges that may impede our progress and address them,” he said.

Mr Maribe also acknowledged that significant advancement was made in finalising the tax treaty seeking to eliminate double taxation.

Arrangements on the treaty have been finalised and the land mark signing of the agreement would be done during the upcoming 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

He said the development would without doubt pave a way for more robust economically beneficial agreements between Botswana and Estonia.

He added that the ongoing forum on political consultations should inspire them to explore new avenues of cooperation and ensure that the partnership remained dynamic, responsive and evolving with global trends.

While focusing on bilateral cooperation, Mr Maribe said, it was equally critical to engage in open and candid discussions regarding regional and global issues that resonated with the two nations.

He said challenges emanating from the Russia-Ukraine war served as a stark reminder for an urgent need to intensify collaborative efforts at multilateral level.

“Together we have the opportunity to address these pressing issues and work toward peaceful resolutions,” he said.

In light of the current geopolitical landscape, Mr Maribe reaffirmed Botswana’s steadfast call for an immediate cessation of hostilities among the parties involved in the conflict.

“It is vital that we encourage a peaceful means of conflict resolution, fostering an environment where all voices can be heard and be valued,” he said.

He added: “The security challenges affecting various regions in Africa and the Middle East compel us to unite our efforts in developing effective strategies for addressing these crisis. It is through our collaborative spirit that we can find solutions and pave the way for lasting peace and stability.”

Mr Maribe reiterated Botswana’s unwavering commitment to continue nurturing its partnership with Estonia. Working together, Mr Maribe said, the two nations would champion sustainable socio-economic development, benefiting not only the two countries, but also setting an example for cooperation between countries in diverse regions.

Ms Kristi Karelsohn, Estonia’s Director General of the Department of Asia, Pacific Region, Middle East and Africa said the state visit by President Karis gave boost to the existing relations and therefore, the political consultation meeting was a follow-up on some of the issues that were discussed by the two heads of states.

She said Botswana was one of the priority partners for Estonia in Africa. “We are quite similar in size. You have exactly double the size of the Estonia population, therefore its quite easy to understand each other,” Ms Karelsohn said.

“One thing that we are really open to discuss and provide from our side is the experience of our reforms conducted in 1990 after we regained our independence,” he said. She said one of such reforms was in education and digitisation.

Ms Karelsohn said the agreement to eliminate double taxation was a positive move, hoping the foreign ministers would sign it in the coming weeks so that companies from both countries would have a better environment for accessing each other’s markets.

“I also believe that we will have some time to discuss the global and regional challenges. We will also want to hear about the challenges that Botswana is facing be it security or climate,” she said. Ends