Botswana and Ethiopia are set to sign a number of trade deals in the near future with the two countries’ ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries having already signed recently a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the Field of Livestock and Fisheries.
This is according to a joint communiqu├® on the Inaugural Session of the Botswana- Ethiopia Joint Ministerial Commission (JMC) which was attended by Minister of International Affairs Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi and the State Minister for Political Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Hirut Zemene Kassa, recently in Gaborone.
During the JMC, the Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Patrick Ralotsia, and the Minister of Livestock and Fisheries, Professor Fekadu Beyene, signed an MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Livestock and Fisheries.
According to the communiqu├®, Venson-Moitoi and Kassa urged Senior Officials to accelerate conclusion of the pending Draft Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding, namely, Draft Extradition Treaty, Draft Agreement on Mutual Legal Assistance, Draft Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) on Agricultural Cooperation to ensure that they are signed before the next Joint Ministerial
The two countries are also yet to sign MoU on cooperation in the fields of Youth, Sport and Culture and Cooperation in the Health sector, Commission.
Venson Moitoi and Kassa also reviewed the state of bilateral cooperation and further expressed satisfaction at the new momentum gained to enhance bilateral engagement between the two Countries.
The Ministers noted the warm and cordial relations that exist between Botswana and Ethiopia and underscored the importance of further deepening and consolidating these ties through the adoption and implementation of concrete programmes in the fields of Economic and Technical Cooperation, Socio-Cultural,
During her visit, Kassa and her delegation visited and toured the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) in Lobatse, to have an appreciation of Botswana beef production industry.
The tour provided an opportunity to explore collaboration in meat processing and packaging and other areas of mutual interest in the beef sector.
In a similar development the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Tshekedi Khama, Minister of Environment, Natural Resources, Conservation and Tourism, and discussed on the way forward to strengthen relations between the two countries in the sector.
The two Ministers agreed to sign the MoU on Tourism Cooperation in December 2017.
In the spirit to foster closer relations and consolidate the existing bilateral ties, the two
The JMC is a forum where the two Ministers of Foreign Affairs meet to discuss issues of common interest, with a view to promote fruitful cooperation between the two countries.
The JMC was established following the signing of an Addendum to the 2012 General Framework Agreement of Cooperation between the two countries, on 02 July 2017, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
