22 Aug 2018

Head of the European delegation to Botswana has hailed the country’s political and ecomomic dispensation ,describing it as crisis -free something whichhe said is not common in a some countries EU has relations with.

Giving remarks at his own farewell reception hosted by the Ministry of International Affairs and Cooperation, Mr Alexander Baum said during his tenure here, he felt that he needed to push on his side as much as needed to encourage their friends and partners to make the two  sides match.

He said he was privileged to have served in this wonderful country and beyond this region.

“Four years is long and still too short.

It has given me an insight into the challenges this country is facing and still, I don’t understand everything I see and experience,” he said, adding that the art of doing his job as ambassador was however to distinguish what was important and what was less important and to stay focused, to get close and stay distant.

Mr Baum said his job had been easy because the relations between Botswana and the EU were long standing, cordial and close.

“We come from an intense development partnership, which has more recently been eroded by Botswana’s development success and the consequential reduction in the finances devoted to our cooperation, but we are here, and stayed here while others have left,” he continued.

Mr Baum noted that the EU shared the largest part of their values with Botswana, held democratic principles and practices in high esteem and valued human rights.

“But there are a few foreign policy positions of Botswana we would not agree with. In other words, as ambassador I don’t need to pass or receive difficult messages, I can stay consistent and therefore honest. I don’t have to square the circle of conflicting foreign policy objectives or pretend interests or pretend no interests,” said Mr Baum.

For her part, Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation Dr Unity Dow extended her best wishes to Mr Baum and his family on their future endeavors.

“I hope you will continue to visit your second home Botswana,” she said. ENDS