23 Mar 2021

Botswana, alongside fellow Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) member states, has endorsed and adopted the agreed text of the new partnership agreement between the bloc and the European Union (EU).

This was said by Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation, Dr Lemogang Kwape during the Botswana-EU virtual political dialogue yesterday.

Dr Kwape stated that the meeting was convened at the sunset of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement (CPA) in an endeavour to continue strengthening the relationship which he said was indicative of the long lasting and strategic partnership between Botswana and the EU.

Through the agreement, the minister said, Botswana and other OACPS member states had reiterated their resolve to further enhance and entrench the long standing relations with Europe.

“We emphasised the value of partnership and our wish for a mutually beneficial relationship,” he stated.

Dr Kwape said the agreed text held immense potential to lead the OACPS member states along the development path.

He said the OACPS secretariat had released the draft partnership agreement noting that Botswana was among countries which participated in the cleaning up of its text.

“We are convinced, and reasonably so, that the ever resurfacing issues relating to tackling anti-money laundering and counter financing of terrorism as well as tax management, will be better dealt with through adequate and transparent consultations; rather than unilateral action,” he said.

During the dialogue, Dr Kwape said Botswana and EU exchanged views and set out priorities to effectively strengthen the partnership, Botswana's Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan and the EU's new financing model for 2021 to 2027.

“We are both agreed that when these are considered alongside the EU-SADC EPA, the Africa Agenda 2063, the spirit of the AfCFTA and the Sustainable Development Goals, much progress is achievable,” he stated.

Dr Kwape noted that Botswana and the EU remained important and strategic partners at both bilateral and multilateral levels adding that he therefore took the opportunity to apprise the organisation on Botswana's role as SADC Organ on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation chair.

For his part, head of EU delegation to Botswana and SADC, Mr Jan Sadek, said his organisation was aware that the country had suffered economically from lockdowns imposed to fight the COVID pandemic.

However, he said owing to Botswana’s track record of economic stability provided by many decades of prudence of macroeconomic management, the country stood a chance to recover economically in the post pandemic phase.

He expressed the hope that Botswana would fast track reforms under the Economic Transformation Recovery Plan to grow the economy, create jobs and grow foreign investment.

“As EU, we remain hopeful that Botswana’s accelerated reforms under the ETRP will help Botswana immensely as she is a success story and a role model in Africa with good governance and political stability,” he said.

Stating that the EU remained a key business partner and a big source of foreign investment to Botswana, Mr Sadek advised the country to seize the opportunity to benefit from EU-SADC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).

He said EU’s priorities under the agreement, which included investment promotion, digitalization and renewable energy, would be discussed with the finance ministry.

 

Other African OACPS member states are Burkina Faso, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali Niger, Rwanda, Eswatini, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. ENDS