17 Jun 2019

France ambassador, Mr Pierre Voillery, says he will be retiring from the public service next month.

Speaking during a luncheon he hosted for organisations and diplomats at his residence in Gaborone recently, Mr Voillery said time had come for him to return home because age had caught up with him.

Mr Voillery, who served in Botswana for almost three years, said he was grateful for the few years he spent in Botswana.

Furthermore, he thanked the authorities who ensured that his stay in the country was smooth and safe.

He praised the diplomatic missions in the country for their good relations amongst each other, saying though they were few, they did a wonderful job for their respective countries.

The ambassador divulged that the bilateral relations between France and Botswana spanned over five decades, almost immediately after Botswana attained its independence and had been going strong ever since.

“I hope that the incoming ambassador will ensure that the good relations that have prevailed between the two countries over the years are nurtured and taken to even bigger heights,” he opined.

He said opening of the embassy at his native country proved to France that Botswana took keen interest in deepening the two countries’ already existing relations as well as exploring new areas of cooperation.

Ambassador Voillery said Botswana shared the same values of stability as France and that his country was pleased to be cooperating with Botswana politically and economically. 

He divulged that he was going back home after being impressed by Botswana’s stable affairs of politics both regionally and internationally.

He said Botswana continued to be exemplary in different fields particularly the tourism sector, pointing out that the Okavango Delta remained his most beautiful destination. ends