24 Feb 2022

Two envoys, representing Cuba and Saudi Arabia, presented letters of credence to President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi yesterday.

    Receiving the Cuban ambassador designate’s credentials, President Masisi said  Botswana was keen to continue bilateral relations with Cuba.

  He told Mr Orlando Alvarez that Botswana and Cuba had over the years enjoyed stellar bilateral relations especially in the health sector, with Cuba providing a lot of support to Botswana’s health care system. 

Botswana’s primary health care therefore owed its success to Cuba and government was keen to continue the relations in that regard, he said. 

President Masisi said Botswana needed support in the development of its pharmaceutical industry especially in compounding. 

He said government was also keen to promote and develop sport, particularly volleyball and boxing.

He spoke of plans to develop a center of excellence for sport expressing the wish to see Botswana-Cuba relations in  the field grow. 

In addition, the President said government desired enhanced cooperation between the two countries in areas of trade and tourism. 

On a different issue, Dr Masisi appealed for support to SADC in the fight against terrorism such as in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado region. 

For his part, Mr Alvarez expressed his government’s gratitude for  Botswana’s support which he said provided a counterbalance for the economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba. 

Turning to Mr Sultan Al Angari, the Saudi Arabia ambassador designate,  Dr Masisi said Botswana and the Middle East nation enjoyed development ties  even before they established diplomatic relations. 

Relations between the two countries dated back to the 1970s when Botswana ministers visited Saudi Arabia to explore possibilities of cooperation and development, he said. 

The President said Botswana was working hard to diversify its petroleum products sources by using its dry port in Namibia. 

To that end, he asked for Saudi Arabia’s assistance as it had vast experience in the oil industry. 

Reacting to Dr Masisi’s words, Mr Sultan Al Angari said the two countries’ business and private sector would engage to explore possible opportunities. 

He said since his country would be hosting the Saudi Arabia-Africa summit in April, it was important that the two countries exchanged views and enhanced relations. ends