The Ministerial session of the inaugural Botswana-Lesotho Bi-National Commission, that concluded at the Gaborone International Convention Centre on June 17 laid a foundation in unlocking the potential of the two countries’ relations, and transforming goodwill to cooperation, Minister for International Relations, Dr Phenyo Butale has said.

Delivering an address at the conclusion of the ministerial segment of the Bi-National Commission, Dr Butale said the engagement had provided a platform for the two nations to engage and make decisions towards enhanced cooperation on a broad range of issues of common interest, including trade, defence, water, education and cultural exchange.
“These outcomes constitute a shared vision for a partnership that delivers tangible benefits for our citizens. They reflect our collective determination to transform friendship into opportunity, cooperation into development, and shared aspiration into measurable results,” Dr Butale said.
He said after the exhaustive work of the senior government officials in agreeing on areas of mutual interest that could be pursued to produce the most feasible outcomes within a reasonable framework, the ministers met to cement decisions which would then be presented to the two heads of government; President Advocate Duma Boko and Prime Minister Mr Sam Matekane for final ratification.
“We will present these outcomes to our principals, whose vision and leadership made this inaugural Bi-National Commission possible. The true measure of the success of this commission, however, will be measured in the tangible outcomes we will deliver in the months and years ahead, the opportunities we create, the businesses we empower, and the peace and stability we help sustain in our country and across the region,” Dr Butale said.
The Lesotho-South Africa-Botswana (LESABO) Water Transfer Project, a transboundary initiative to channel water over a 700 kilometre route from the Lesotho Highlands across South Africa to Botswana would be among the critical projects to be pursued, Dr Butale said.
Agricultural cooperation would include the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) and Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) exploring the Lesotho market, and the two states would also pursue mutually beneficial partnerships in areas such as mining, tourism and cultural exchange.
Dr Butale said that in a rapidly evolving global economy the most important resource the two states possessed were their people whose human resource, skills and adaptation to global best practice could help unlock opportunities to partake in modern development.
Lesotho Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations, Mr Limpho Tau commended the ministers and senior government officials from either side for the camaraderie they displayed over the Bi-National Commission, setting the tone for the meeting of the heads of government.
Mr Tau said this was an opportune time for the two countries to strengthen partnerships that would benefit the ordinary citizenry, and increase the two economies’ revenue streams. ENDS