01 Mar 2020

 President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi says Botswana/Zimbabwe friendship and cooperation is not only for the benefit of the two SADC nations as it also gives significant impetus to both regional and continental development and integration agendas.

President Masisi said this at a reception held in honour of President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe and the delegation he lead to attend the 2^nd session of Botswana/Zimbabwe Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Maun recently.

The 2nd BNC was meant to provide a platform for the two neighbouring SADC states to reflect on the road travelled thus far in terms of challenges with a view to give direction and meaning to the partnership.

The fact that the Zimbabwean delegation brought with it a sizeable number of business people gave President Masisi satisfaction.

He was therefore hopeful that interactions the Zimbabwean delegation had with their Botswana counterparts at the business forum that took place on the fringes of the BNC yielded significant and tangible business undertakings.

The private sector, he emphasised, remained a vital cockpit in the development of sustainable socio-economic programmes and projects, which would in turn impact on the lives of the ordinary citizens.

As such, President Masisi said it was important for Botswana and Zimbabwe to recommit towards speedy conclusion of regional projects such as the Ponta Techobanine in Mozambique, which had the potential to unlock the economic potential of the three SADC states and further enhance regional trade.

On the other hand, President Mnangagwa said the 2nd Session of the BNC provided the two countries with an opportunity to reaffirm their strong ties and further pursue ways of enhancing trade and economic cooperation for their respective people.

He was pleased that Botswana had, through Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC), managed to convene a business forum on the sidelines of the BNC as a way of engaging with their Zimbabwean counterparts.

“I am optimistic that such relations will yield tangible results and increased volumes of trade between our two nations,” he said.

He relayed further that in their quest to improve macro-economic environment, Zimbabwe continued to push for accelerated implementation of a raft economic, political and legislative reform. ENDS