Article 8 Political Dialogue, Speech by Ambassador Sadek

24.03.2021
Gaborone

Opening Statement on behalf of the European Union, by
H E Mr Jan Sadek, Ambassador of the European Union to Botswana and SADC

Man giving a speech

EUROPEAN UNION

 

 

 

DELEGATION TO THE REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA AND SADC

 

 

EU-Botswana Article 8 Political Dialogue

Gaborone and Online, 23 March 2021

 

Opening Statement on behalf of the European Union, by

H E Mr Jan Sadek, Ambassador of the European Union to Botswana and SADC

 

Honorable Minister and your Delegation, Dumelang Bagaetsho,

 

When the European Union and Botswana last met in this format, last year on 20 February, the Corona virus was still not a pandemic and was looked upon as mainly an Asian concern. Little did we know what would come next, in the form of social distancing, masks and lockdowns. It has indeed been a very unusual and difficult year for all of us. Botswana has so far managed the pandemic most successfully and kept its population and us guests in your country safe, for which we would like to congratulate and thank the Government. However, hundreds of Batswana have died from the disease, including relatives of esteemed participants in this meeting, and we wish to express our sympathies to their families and express our hope that through vaccination and other measures, life can normalise.

 

The pandemic is a great challenge to the society, and also to diplomatic work, and I would like to thank the Minister and the Ministry of International Affairs and Cooperation for agreeing to organise the Political Dialogue also under these circumstances. This shows the commitment on both sides to engage on our relationship. The Article 8 Political Dialogue is indeed important and an excellent way of really looking in detail at all aspects of our partnerships.

 

And we believe that our partnership with Botswana is truly special, with many common interests and a strong everyday cooperation in many fields. It will be a pleasure to penetrate these areas, with you Honorable Minister and your distinguished Delegation. I am pleased to note that we the resident EU Heads of Mission have been joined by several non-resident Ambassadors and Deputies.

 

I would like to emphasise one element and purpose, beyond our exchange here today, which is the interest that the EU and its Member States in Brussels and European capitals take in the Article 8 Dialogue and in Botswana. What we elaborate on here today, will be studied and discussed thoroughly in the EU’s Africa Working Group, resulting in conclusions for the way forward. This is also why we propose to the Botswana side, to hold such Dialogues twice per year, to bring Botswana even higher on the agenda of the European Union.

 

Honorable Minister,

 

Before making a few remarks on our partnership, let me address you personally and appreciate the good everyday exchange that we have with you and your Ministry. We are grateful for the support we get, both on substance matters and on protocol, with quick and high quality response. The same goes for our interactions with the Government in general, and we are flattered to see so many representatives from various Ministries present here today. Minister Kwape, this is your first Article 8 Dialogue with the EU and we hope to see many more!

 

Today, we will be able to look ahead at our cooperation in the coming years, but let me start by looking back at the COVID-19 pandemic and our response. Overall, the European Union’s reaction to the pandemic was based on solidarity and a multilateral approach. Together with our Member States, we have invested billions in the development of vaccines and together with the United Nations and the Government of France, the European Commission took the initiative to the COVAX mechanism, to make vaccines accessible to all, including developing countries. We are now seeing the results of this, as vaccines are arriving on the African continent. I was happy to learn that the first COVAX shipment will arrive in Botswana later this month. We wish the Government good luck with the vaccination campaign and would like to express our appreciation for the decision to include also non-citizens in the programme.

 

In Botswana and Africa, like in all other parts of the world, the EU and its Member States came together under the concept of Team Europe, to join hands in supporting the Government’s COVID-19 response. We have done this by providing Personal Protective Equipment, medical training, support to Gender Based Violence victims, support to vulnerable groups and to the economic recovery after the pandemic.

 

Last week we launched a programme with the Ministry of Agriculture and Conservation International to benefit disadvantaged farmers in Ngamiland through Commodity Based Trade. A few days ago, in Letlhakane, together with the Botswana Red Cross Society and IFRC, we launched a programme, supplying cash payments to vulnerable Batswana. And on Thursday Team Europe is planning an event with the Ministry of Health and Wellness and WHO, to present our cooperation in support of the Ministry’s training of health workers.

 

Before we look ahead, let me praise the Botswana Government for facilitating the repatriation of European citizens during the first months of the pandemic. This was a cumbersome process, but it succeeded thanks to the flexibility and helpful attitude of many Batswana authorities and officials.

 

Now that we hopefully see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, it is time to look ahead. Botswana and Africa, like all other regions, have suffered economically from lock downs and social distancing. We have taken note of the Government’s Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan and the Finance Minister’s budget speech. We are confident that the Government of Botswana will manage the challenges, given the economic stability provided by many decades of prudent macro-economic management. We support the idea of accelerating reforms, of Building-Back-Better and of applying a Green Recovery model. 

 

We are beyond business as usual, and the post-pandemic phase is an opportunity for Botswana to diversify its economy, create jobs and promote export and foreign investment. We believe that Botswana has a lot to offer as a success-story and role-model in Africa, with good governance and political and economic stability in an important region. The EU wants to remain a key business partner, being the most important market for Botswana and a big source of foreign investments. The trade conditions are excellent through the EU-SADC Economic Partnership Agreement.

 

The European Union is currently planning its next budget for external action. We are happy to confirm that Botswana will benefit from it, and not long ago we discussed our joint priorities with the Minister of Finance. Our priorities are well aligned with the National Development Agenda, and we identified two main areas for future cooperation: 1. Economic Diversification and Jobs, including trade and investment promotion, skills development and support to Digitalisation; and 2. Green transformation, including renewable energy, biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation. We see huge potential in these areas and look forward to discussing them with you today and receiving your feedback.

 

For the European Union, Botswana is indeed an important partner and ally on the multilateral stage, where we work together for a better world, in the United Nations and elsewhere. This is confirmed in your voting patterns in the UN General Assembly, and we cherish this partnership on the global arena. 2021 is an important year for our joint multilateral action in the defence of our planet. EU and Botswana should join forces to reach ambitious targets at the UN Biodiversity Conference in October 2021, in Kunming China, and at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference, COP26, in November in Glasgow, UK. 

 

Botswana is well-known for applying high standards in all areas, and we are pleased to note this also applies to our joint fight against Money Laundering and Harmful Tax Regimes. I would like to thank Botswana for its commitment and constructive approach in rectifying its deficiencies. This will without doubt add to the country’s good reputation.

 

 

Another area we will discuss today is Human Rights, where Botswana has always had high ambitions. The EU will continue to condemn the use of the Death Penalty and argue in favour of a moratorium and an abolishment. We are keen to learn more about the Constitutional Reform being planned and how it can relate to the Death Penalty and other important matters such as women’s political participation.

 

We applaud Botswana’s commitment to regional stability and see the Chairmanship of the SADC Organ as a good example. We are truly interested in Botswana’s assessment of several country situations, such as Mozambique and Zimbabwe, in order for us to understand better the circumstances and the regional response. We are happy to provide European support, if the region so wishes. While I am referring to SADC, let me express the EU’s condolences for the passing away of the president of Tanzania, and confirm the EU’s continued support to that country.

 

Regional integration is in the EU’s DNA, and our support to SADC has been sizeable over the years. Including the support from EU Member States, mainly Germany, the European Union finances 95 percent of SADC’s programme budget. Our support will continue in the new EU budget, although with new modalities, and we would like to have Botswana’s advice on how our funding would be best invested. We have noted the Botswana candidate for the position of SADC Executive Secretary and would be interested in learning more about the Botswana priorities for the organisation in the years to come.

 

I started my remarks by recapitulating what has been a challenging year under the COVID-19 pandemic. As we embark on this morning’s dialogue, I would like to conclude by remembering also the beautiful moments of last year… While the borders of the country were closed, many of us took the opportunity of discovering Botswana and its regions. So I end by recalling visits to the wonderful Okavango Delta, the pride of Botswana and one of the planet’s last true wildernesses… And by remembering the vastness of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve… And by bringing back to mind the stars on the night sky above the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans…

 

Honorable Minister, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I can see that the stars are aligned for a good dialogue and a continued successful Botswana-EU partnership…! Together with my colleagues from the EU Member States, I am looking forward to a fruitful exchange!

 

Ke a leboga, Pula!