09 May 2022

Botswana Heads of Diplomatic Mission are home to confer on how best to represent the country abroad.  

Speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the Heads of Mission consultative forum on Monday, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr Gladys Mokhawa said the retreat was important as it would shape the way the envoys coordinated Botswana’s foreign policy in their countries of assignment.  She said the envoys would be meeting among themselves as well as with other stakeholders.

“It is of great importance for Envoys to engage with the public and private sectors to exchange views on ways in which Botswana can advance the country’s development agenda through cooperation and strategic partnerships in areas such as trade, foreign direct investment, social development and tourism promotion,” she said.

She added that the first point of call in other countries, envoys played an important role in leading government’s efforts at attracting foreign direct investment and diversifying the economy. Heads of missions, she said, should make every effort to ensure that Botswana’s aspirations translated into reality by facilitating speedy foreign investment, which in turn created jobs.

“In today’s world order, economic diplomacy is at the center of any country’s development agenda. Therefore we should in that context give particular attention to foreign direct investment, innovation and human capital development to enhance sustainable and inclusive growth in Botswana,” she said.

Dr Mokhawa said the consultative meeting came at the right time as it would allow diplomats to reflect together and map a way on issues that affected Botswana’s national interests.

The meeting would also offer them opportunity to develop a strategy of how best to strategically position Botswana with a view to attracting
opportunities for the country.

Dr Mokhawa said the forum therefore served as a point of reference to redefine and advance issues of national interest.

She said that it was through such forums that policies and programmes could candidly be reviewed towards building wider and deeper bilateral and multilateral relations.

For his part Botswana’s Dean of Head of Missions, Mr Samuel Outlule also emphasised the significance of the forum for Botswana’s envoys.

“It is worth noting that the Foreign Missions were pivotal in facilitating the logistics around the procurement and transportation of the  COVID 19 vaccines which is in line with priority  number  one  of  the RESET Agenda which talks of saving Botswana’s population from COVID  19,” he said.

He added the onus was upon the envoys to strengthen solidarity and bilateral ties with other nations in an effort to promote common development as well as increase economic exchanges and coordination with other countries.

Mr Outlule expressed optimism that the forum would create the right platform for the envoys to discuss beneficial issues of national interest.

The forum is held under the theme “Strategically positioning Botswana, Post COVID 19 pandemic”. It started yesterday and ends on the 19th.
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