Staff Reporter
The last three weeks of September were exceptionally busy and productive for President Hage Geingob, who only recently returned to Namibia after attending several international high-level engagements in the United States of America (USA), the United Kingdom (UK) and Angola.
The president returned to the country on Thursday, 29 September, after meeting with the Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Panel of Elders, Jakaya Kikwete, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Moussa Faki Ahamat, and with Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani of the State of Qatar.
During the meeting with Kikwete, who is also the former president of Tanzania, Geingob emphasised the importance of consultations for peace and security in the SADC region. The two leaders also exchanged their views on the implementation of SADC decisions with regards to the Republic of Mozambique, the Kingdoms of Eswatini and Lesotho.
Geingob also stressed the importance of peace, security and development in the SADC region during his AUC meeting with Ahamat.
The president’s meeting with Al Thani, which took place on 28 September, primarily focused on the increasing importance of Namibia’s partnership with Qatar. During the meeting, Geingob highlighted the need for the two countries to accelerate economic exchanges to facilitate the growth of the Namibian economy, while also addressing the country’s unemployment issue.
These meetings took place after the president hosted the Namibia Investment Summit in New York, where he explained that Namibia is ready to welcome investments in strategic sectors of the economy, namely the renewable energy, green hydrogen and manufacturing sectors. He credited the country’s stable, peaceful and robust governance architecture for this.
The summit came after the president delivered a statement on behalf of the Namibian people and government at the 77th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 77) in New York. His statement touched on the challenges related to the country’s unsuitable classification as an upper-middle income country. Geingob stressed that this classification does not consider the country’s vast income gaps and thus serves as a hindrance to the country’s development.
The presidential statement, which can be viewed on the Informanté’s Facebook page, also touched on Africa’s exclusion from the Security Council and the sanctions placed upon Cuba and Zimbabwe.
Prior to attending the UNGA 77, the president was in the UK, where he attended the State Funeral of Britain’s longest reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, as well as the Reception of King Charles III.
Geingob also visited the capital of Angola to attend the Investiture Ceremony of the newly-elected Angolan President, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, and to pay his respects to the late former Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos.
PRODUCTIVE: President Hage Geingob returns to Namibia, after concluding successful official meetings. Photos: Namibian Presidency
