14 Mar 2018

President Lt  Gen. Dr Seretse Khama Ian Khama has expressed satisfaction over the steady growth in the bilateral  relations between Botswana and the international society.

Speaking at a briefing to bid farewell to heads of diplomatic missions accredited to Botswana, President Khama  said the deepening and cultivation of relations between Botswana and the international  community hadalso resulted in gradual increase in the number of resident diplomatic missions and international organizations.

President Khama said that Botswana had over the past decade established five additional diplomatic missions thus increasing representation abroad to 22 adding that Botswana at present maintains diplomatic ties with 167 countries.

He said government  appreciated the continued development support and technical assistance that international countries and organisations rendered to Botswana, adding that such support had been instrumental in complementing Botswana’s  own development efforts aimed at achieving national aspirations as espoused in the National Vision 2036.

With regard to continental developments, President Khama said Botswana continued to play an active role in advancing the transformational  agenda as envisioned in Agenda 2063.

“Our commitment  to the African Union  (AU) has been demonstrated through amongst others, our membership of the African Union Peace and Security Council,the Ministerial Commitee of the fifteen(15) Ministers of Finance and the Ministerial Commitee on the ratification and implementation of AU treaties,” he said.

He said it should be noted that Botswana was elected as chair of the Ministerial Commitee during the recent AU summit which  monitored the implementation of Agenda 2063.

Furthermore, President Khama said that Botswana together with other SADC member states continued to advocate for a transparent and inclusive institutional reform process of the AU which aimed at making the continental body more effective and efficient.

At the global level, President Khama said Botswana actively participated in the work of the United Nation in pursuit of international  peace and security.

He said Botswana continued to resolutely  believe in the principles of inviolately and universality of all human rights and the significance of the Human Rghts Council in the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

However, President Khama said Botswana remained concerned by a disturbing trend whereby some political  leaders cling to power when their term of office expires.

These leaders he said, now have resorted to measureS such as delaying holding of elections, or amending their national constitutions to effectively extend their terms in office, adding that the practise was regressive and undermined the collective aspirations as espoused in the African Union Constitutive Act and further elaborated in Agenda 2063.

President Khama said Botswana was disheartened by the plight of millions of people around the world who have been displaced from their countries due to political instability,the violation of human rights and discrimination. Ends