17 Sep 2026

 Botswana and the Sultanate of Oman are committed to expanding bilateral cooperation despite having established diplomatic relations only recently, President Advocate Duma Boko has said.

Speaking at a state banquet held in honour of Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, who was in Botswana for a two-day state visit, President Boko said the visit presented an opportunity to strengthen relations and explore new avenues of cooperation.

 “I am confident that Your Majesty’s State Visit will broaden the scope for cooperation and create new avenues in various sectors,” he said.

President Boko said the visit marked the beginning of a mutually beneficial partnership and reflected the two countries’ shared commitment to transformation and development.

He said Botswana was ready to work closely with Oman to improve the lives and livelihoods of their people.

For his part, Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik said the visit marked an important milestone in the growing friendship between the two countries.

“Although separated by geography, Oman and Botswana share much in common. Our countries value peace and stability, believe in dialogue and mutual respect, and recognise the importance of pursuing development in a manner that creates opportunity and prosperity for future generations,” he said.

He said relations between the two countries had developed rapidly within a year, with partnerships taking shape between institutions and businesses.

He said agreements and memoranda of understanding reached between the two governments, including those signed during the visit, provided a strong foundation for broadening cooperation and creating lasting opportunities for their peoples.

He said relations extended beyond agreements and institutions, noting that they were built through people-to-people understanding and cultural exchanges. 

 “We hope that this new chapter, between Oman and Botswana will increasingly be defined by such connections. The growing diplomatic engagement between our two countries, together with the steps being taken to strengthen our respective representation, reflects our shared confidence in the future of this relationship,” he said. 

Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik said joint investment projects should be expanded and shared widely to benefit citizens of both countries, particularly through employment creation rather than profit generation alone. ENDS