Namibia's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has called on Namibia and Tanzania to continue working together by strengthening cooperation and safeguarding peace and stability in SADC.
Nandi-Ndaitwah made the remarks during the opening of the 3rd Ministerial session of the Namibia-Tanzania Joint Commission on Cooperation in Windhoek.
Recalling the wise sentiments of the first Tanzanian President and renowned teacher, Julius Nyerere, Nandi-Ndaitwah says peace should remain the core value for the SADC region to maintain its purpose.
She however raised concern about the political and security situation in the Kingdom of Eswatini, saying Namibia encourages the government to stabilize the situation before the upcoming elections.
The Deputy Premier stressed that delegates at the session should utilize the platform to deliberate on regional integration, poverty eradication, women's empowerment, youth development, as well as peace and security.
Nandi-Ndaitwah also called on entrepreneurs to strengthen investment in both countries through the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.
"Our entrepreneurs should be the ones at the backbone of this economic diplomacy that is underpinning our cooperation. In this context, it is vital that we prioritize the speedy finalization of pending agreements in various fields that we have identified, as this will strengthen and deepen our cooperation and enable us to contribute to the SADC programs as well as the realization of the AU Agenda 2063, the Africa we want."
Tanzania's Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Stergomena Lawrence Tax, for her part, urged the two governments to improve interactions at all levels in order to strengthen historical ties and relationships.
Lawrence Tax also reiterated the need for trade and investment flows by first removing non-tariff barriers that hinder businesses from thriving.
"May I call upon Namibian investors and business persons to take advantage of the improved business environment in areas of interest such as manufacturing, tourism, mining, energy, livestock, fisheries, and the blue economy. When you come and invest in Tanzania, you are coming to serve both countries by utilizing all opportunities based on the country's geographic location. This is an added advantage to our economic relations because it guarantees high returns on investment."