The Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Peya Mushelenga, has unveiled plans to establish a permanent inter-ministerial committee on economic diplomacy.

The meeting first observed a moment of silence in remembrance of the death of the late President Hage Geingob.

Dr. Mushelenga, in his address, emphasised that the proposed committee on diplomacy would play a pivotal role in guiding decision-making on economic diplomacy, providing insights on when and how to act to maximise the benefits for Namibia.

"The Namibian government spends a lot of money to run 35 diplomatic establishments abroad. It follows a logic that the country expects a direct and indirect return on investment. This will be enhanced by proper coordination among stakeholders. It is, thus, my intention to institutionalise a permanent inter-ministerial committee on economic diplomacy with stakeholder offices, ministries, and agencies (OMAs), as recommended in one of my academic discourses. The committee will be a fountain of ideas on what to do, when, and how."

The announcement of the proposed inter-ministerial committee signals the Namibian government's commitment to harnessing its diplomatic resources more effectively to drive its economic development and prosperity agenda.