23 Aug 2023

Botswana’s long standing relationship with United States of America is underpinned by the two nations’ commitment to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

This was said by US Ambassador to Botswana Mr  Howard Van Vranken at a meet and greet session with journalists in Francistown on Monday.

“There is also a strong military relationship, with the US providing training and assistance to the Botswana Defence Force,” he said.

Also, Mr  Van Vranken stated, the US had collaborated with Botswana on public health initiatives such as HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

He noted that US had also worked with Botswana to combat cross-border crimes.

Ambassador Van Vranken said this done through training and support to law enforcement agencies in Botswana to help them better detect and investigate such crimes.

“These crimes include human trafficking, drug trafficking and wildlife trafficking and poaching,” he told journalists.

The two nations according to the US Ambassador also share intelligence.

He disclosed that these efforts were having a positive impact in the fight against cross-border crime.

Concerning the press, Mr Van Vranken said although a lot of progress had been achieved towards press freedom, the local media could learn a lot from the vibrant US media and be impactful. ENDS