EU Chief Diplomat to visit Botswana and appreciate progress on key cooperation projects
The European Union (EU) High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission (HR/VP), H.R. Mr. Josep Borrel, will engage high level officials of the Government of Botswana and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat in Gaborone on 28th January 2023, during his inaugural visit to Botswana, which is part of his two country tour of the Region.
High Representative Borrel, who represents the EU externally as its chief diplomat and is also in charge of coordinating and implementing the overall EU foreign and security policy, will hold several bilateral meetings, including with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Botswana, Honourable Dr.. Lemogang Kwape, as well as with His Excellency Mr. Elias Magosi, the Executive Secretary of SADC.
Whilst in Botswana, H.R Mr. Borrel will visit the Tlokweng Border Post to appreciate the milestones achieved by the Tripartite Transport and Transit Facilitation Programme (TTTFP) which is funded by the EU to the value €21 million and by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development through Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ).
The SADC Secretariat is coordinating the implementation of the TTTFP on behalf of the Tripartite of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), East African Community (EAC) and SADC. TTTFP focuses on harmonising road transport laws, regulations and IT systems in 25 countries across three regional economic communities in Southern and Eastern Africa.
TTTFP is also mandated to develop and facilitate the implementation by Member States of the Vehicle Load Management (VLM) Strategy which is important for the protection of road infrastructure and promotion of road safety.
The Tlokweng Weigh Station is an important gateway on the Trans Kalahari Corridor (TKC) linking South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia to Walvis Bay Port. Furthermore, the TKC, together with the Maputo Development Corridor, have been identified as priority corridors under the EU Global Gateway Strategy.
The visit will serve to strengthen the already positive EU-Botswana and the EU-SADC relationship, which is increasingly focused on advancing green and digital transformation, facilitation of trade as well as sustainable development and boosting EU investment in Botswana.
