16 Jun 2025

 The Vice President, also Minister of Finance, Mr Ndaba Gaolathe will address the 2025 Oganisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund Development Forum scheduled from June 17 to 18 in Vienna.

According to a press release from Office of the President, this historic engagement marks the first time Botswana has been invited to address the OPEC Fund Forum, underscoring the country’s rising international profile and its leadership on economic transformation and sustainable development.

The release states that the Vice President will deliver a keynote address in the high level session on Digital Acceleration for Growth and Inclusion, sign the Country Partnership Framework (CPF) with the OPEC Fund, outlining a four-year roadmap (2025-2029) for cooperation in priority sectors including energy, infrastructure, and innovation.

He will also conduct strategic bilateral meetings with major development financiers, multilateral banks, and institutional investors to advance Botswana’s development finance priorities.

This official engagement is part of the government’s broader effort to mobilise high impact investment, build global partnerships, and ensure Botswana’s development priorities are represented at critical international forums. The government remains committed to transparency and to ensuring that every international engagement translates into real and measurable value for Batswana, says the release.

The release says the forum brings together Heads of State, ministers of finance, global policy-makers and institutional investors to discuss bold, inclusive solutions to the world’s most pressing development challenges.

Key agenda topics include inclusive growth, climate resilience, digital transformation, and South-South cooperation, all of which align closely with Botswana’s development priorities, says the release.

The forum is held under the theme: A Transition that Empowers Our Tomorrow.

 It is organised by the OPEC Fund for International Development, a globally respected multilateral development finance institution founded by the Member States of the OPEC.

It serves as a platform for high-level dialogue and action on sustainable development financing, particularly in emerging and developing economies.

Mr Gaolathe is accompanied by senior government officials and will be back home on Thursday.

During his absence, the Assistant Minister of Communications and Innovation, Mr Shawn Nthaile, will serve as Acting Minister of Finance. ENDS