Nigeria, Botswana sign pact to deepen diplomatic relations

Nigeria and Botswana has signed agreements on cultural cooperation and diplomatic relations to deepen ties between both countries.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, disclosed this to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday after the 4th session of Nigeria-Botswana Joint Permanent Commission for Cooperation (JPCC).

“The signing of the agreements on the JPCC signalled our collective desire to promote political, economic, cultural, social, educational and scientific relations.

“It also marked a strategic cooperation and partnership to boost economic growth and create employment opportunities thus making a contribution in the fight against poverty and underdevelopment in our countries,” he said.

He said that Nigeria attached great importance to relations with the Republic of Botswana and the outcome of the meeting confirmed the friendly and cooperative ties between both countries.

Onyeama stressed the need for both countries to transform their cooperation towards the achievement of sustainable inclusive economic growth.

“As members of both commonwealth and African Union, we should consult on regular basis with a view to strategically cooperate with each other in these prime organisations to achieve our set objectives,” he said.

The minister said the meeting had further the scope of collaboration between Nigeria and Botswana and also paved the way for regular political exchanges at a higher level.

The Botswana Minister of International Affairs and Cooperation, Dr Unity Dow, expressed satisfaction with the existing relations between the two countries and reiterated the necessity to further reinforce these relations for mutual benefits.

She noted that the scope of cooperation between the two countries should be broaden from economic and technical cooperation to include other areas such as social cultural, human resources and manpower development, legal and defence cooperation.

Dow said the relations of both countries were excellent stressing that both countries could learn from each other in terms good governance, among others.