25 Jan 2017

Botswana High Commission in New Delhi, India, requests all stakeholders to work with the high commission to advance the interests of Botswana in India and other countries of accreditation.

A statement from Botswana High Commission in India says the high commission has seen cases where stakeholders undertake activities directly with entities in India without the involvement of the Ministry of International Affairs and Cooperation and by extension to the high commission in India.

“Some of those interactions came out to be ill-advised. At private citizen level, cases of Batswana businesses falling prey to unscrupulous business have surfaced at the expense of Botswana’s interests,” says the statement.

In the past, the statement says the high commission had written to some stakeholders informing about its presence and the need to work together and requested them to share their needs which could be met by entities in India and the region. However, as per the release, these requests have not been responded to.

A high commission represents Botswana government in a foreign country in order to facilitate smooth communication between the two.  Representing Botswana government means government-wide representation of all ministries and departments and private citizens.

In India, Botswana High Commission facilitates communication not only between Botswana and India, but also other countries of coverage, such as Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. Its core mandate is to promote, amongst others, the following interests; to work with all ministries or departments (stakeholders) in Botswana who may require assistance in countries that it covers.

This includes processing mail, paying for goods and services imported into Botswana, on behalf of stakeholders, seeking opportunities on behalf of stakeholders including but not limited to capacity building, education and cultural exchanges, trade, investments and tourism activities.

“We facilitate the signing of agreements between Botswana and other countries for the mutual benefit of the country.
More fundamentally, we serve as the as ears and eyes of all stakeholders especially the executive branch of the government to ensure that Botswana’s interests are protected,” says the statement.

“We promote commercial interests of Botswana, that is, trade, investment and tourism opportunities,” it explains.

For consular matters, the statement says the high commission assists Botswana citizens, very important people, officials, students, diaspora in countries of coverage with necessary protocol, documentations and any relevant information that can make their stay in India and the region smooth.

Furthermore, the statement says the office also reports on political and economic issues that affect bilateral relations and possibly impact Botswana directly, help Botswana business to find partners and customers in countries of coverage.BOPA