05 Mar 2025

Botswana aims to become a hub for renewable energy within the Southern African Development Community and sees potential in learning from Kyrgyzstan to expand the national power supply.

Minister of International Relations, Dr Phenyo Butale said this during a courtesy visit with Kyrgyzstan’s special envoy and Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Edil Baisalov, during which they signed a cooperation agreement to benefit the citizens of both nations.

Currently, Botswana relies on coal-generated power from Morupule, which is insufficient to meet the country’s energy needs. Therefore, Dr Butale said that Kyrgyzstan, a leader in hydropower, generates over 90 per cent of its energy from this renewable source, providing a valuable model for Botswana to consider.

The minister said both countries could explore further collaboration in the agriculture, mining and tourism sectors. He emphasised that establishing a formal relationship, which he described as overdue, would open communication channels and unlock economic opportunities, particularly in investment, industrialisation and job creation.

Dr Butale underlined the importance of cooperation between the two landlocked countries, stressing the need to find common solutions to their unique developmental challenges.

He expressed Botswana’s optimism for maintaining cordial bilateral relations with other nations, particularly following the peaceful transition of power after 58 years. Also, Minister Butale said Botswana aims to industrialise to create jobs.

Mr Baisalov, who is on a two-day working visit, congratulated Botswana on its smooth transition and attributed it to its total adherence to democratic principles. He described Botswana as a unique destination with beautiful landscapes and discussed potential partnerships in tourism. He noted that Kyrgyzstan consisted of 95 per cent mountainous terrain, rich in natural beauty and culture.

Furthermore, Mr Baisalov said that since gaining independence, his country had experienced positive changes due to good governance, highlighting opportunities for investment in human capital, education, and healthcare.
He suggested that the two nations could collaborate on sponsoring events such as conferences that would benefit both nations. ENDS