Local skills development, with a particular emphasis on vocational training, will be a critical feature of the partnership between Namibia and the European Union.

President Hage Geingob and the President of the EU Commission, Dr. Ursula von der Leyen, agreed on this approach, which was reiterated during the inaugural Global Gateway Forum underway in the Belgian capital, Brussels.

President Geingob's speech was read on his behalf by the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.

He told the Forum that it is vital for Namibia and the EU to focus their energy and efforts on a few critical areas to realise the potential of the pathway that was crafted in Egypt, where the two signed the strategic partnership on sustainable raw materials and green hydrogen.

Given the nature of the partnership, the president says, it is clear that neither party is committed to trading in unprocessed commodities with one another anymore.

This assurance comes a day later, after Dr. Geingob announced that Namibia would no longer export minerals in raw form as a value addition to the country's natural resources. Technology transfer and innovation are key priority areas of focus for the future.

The private sector and close cooperation of businesses will be key to improving the speed, scale, and impact of the Global Gateway investments.

The President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, says, therefore, that Team Europe is mobilising the financial power of leading European companies and providing the long-term predictability that the private sector needs to start ambitious projects.

These are the kinds of discussions that needed to be had over the next few days, she says, during the inaugural Global Gateway Forum.

The Global Gateway Forum brings together representatives from the EU and other countries, including Namibia, to encourage public and private sector investments in green energy and hydrogen, research and education, critical raw materials, and transport corridors.