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.