President Mokgweetsi Masisi has described the inaugural EU-Botswana Business Forum (EBBF), which was held alongside the 17th edition of Global Expo Botswana, as a platform to build solid bilateral partnerships for the future of the two entities.
A partnership of the European Union and Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC), the EBBF is themed “EU Botswana: Connecting Goods, People and Services for a Sustainable Future,” while Global Expo is running under the theme, “AfCTA as a Springboard for Improved Intra-Africa Trade.”
Speaking at the official opening session, President Masisi noted that the EBBF is part of efforts to actualise the EU-SADC Economic Partnership Agreement (EU-SADC EPA). “The long-standing partnership between the EU and Africa dates back many decades,” he said. “This is demonstrated by several old mutual pacts, such as the Lomé Convention and the Cotonou Agreement.
Joint Vision for 2030
“These have since ushered in the current Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). The EPA presents one of the most comprehensive North-South economic development treaties between Africa and the European Union.” He noted that the EU and the African Union adopted a Joint Vision for 2030 during the 6th EU-AU Summit in Brussels in February 2022 to consolidate its partnership with Africa further. “The Joint Vision aims to consolidate a renewed partnership for solidarity, security, peace, sustained economic development and prosperity for our citizens and our future generations,” said the President.
“This will bring together our people, regions, and organisations. Through this renewed cooperation, the EU committed to providing at least 450 million vaccine doses to Africa, in coordination with the Africa Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT) platform, by mid-2022.” To date, he added, Europe has provided Africa with more than USD 3 billion (the equivalent of 400 million vaccine doses) to the Covax Facility and vaccination on the African continent, from which Botswana has also benefitted.
He applauded efforts by different players, including Botswana’s developmental partners, in positioning the country as a springboard to reaching regional and international markets. “The present collaborative effort with the EU Delegation comes hot on the heels of a similar global event in the form of the US-Africa Business Summit, which was held here in Gaborone in mid-July in partnership with the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA),” President Masisi said.
MICE destination
He emphasised that these efforts speak to the aspirations of Botswana to transform into a regional hub for investment and international trade, as well as a destination for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE). He characterised these efforts as encapsulating Botswana’s collective desire to continuously seek prospects and opportunities to leverage as it interacts with its development partners who possess and command advanced digital technologies and associated built infrastructure.
“We are intentional in maximising opportunities presented by our positive bilateral and multilateral relations to broaden our key socio-economic developmental areas such as education, health, finance and other priority sectors,” he said. Turning his attention to the theme of Global Expo 2023, the President said it resonates with the continental declaration of 2023 by the AU as the year of “Accelerating the Implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA)”. This follows the agreement’s ratification by nearly 90 percent of all AU member states.
He explained the main aim of the declaration as to create a single African market for goods and services and further promote economic integration and development across the continent in line with the continental flagship project of Agenda 2063. The Deputy Director General of International Partnerships at the European Commission, Myriam Ferran, told participants in the EUEF that the primary intention of the forum is to bring together companies from Botswana, the EU and the region with a clear objective of exploring the investment and trade opportunities between the two entities.
#PushaBW Forum
“We have a very profoundly enshrined partnership which deserves to be more represented at the private sector level,” she said. “This is why we are here today with the ultimate objective of investing in jobs and growth for Botswana.”
Ferran noted that the EU-Botswana partnership dates back several decades, with the EU being the country’s second most important trading partner after SADC and the two having a trade agreement through the EU-SADC EPA, that focuses on development and sustainability. Meanwhile, Global Expo is Botswana’s premier international multi-sectoral business-to-business exhibition that BITC manages on behalf of the government. It took place from 11 to 14 October 2023, the EU-Botswana Business Forum from 11 to 12 instant, while the #PushaBW Forum is being held today (13 October).
