Africa-Press – Botswana. The upgrading of the Joint Permanent Cooperation Commission (JPCC) to a Bi-National Commission (BNC) by heads of states of Zimbabwe and Botswana have gained greater impetus, says Zimbabwean ambassador to Botswana, Mr Batiraishe Mukunoweshuro.
Mr Mukunoweshuro said the BNC sought to promote and explore cooperation in areas of economic and political relations, education, health, agriculture, energy, the environment and defense and security among others.
He said during the closing ceremony of a three day conference of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe Winter School 2023 held at Cresta Maun on Saturday that both countries discussed issues of mutual interests and ways of deepening bilateral relations.
Mr Mukunoweshuro said both governments signed an agreement to improve the business landscape through agriculture development and food security.
He acknowledged Botswana’s leadership public announcement that government would soon engage Zimbabwe on issues of respective citizens using national identities to cross common borders.
“Such scenario will be most welcome as it will contribute significantly to the free movement of people and goods and be part of the baby steps in efforts to achieve the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AFCTA) objectives,” he added.
Mr Mukunoweshuro expressed gratitude that recently, Botswana and Namibia had successfully launched passport free travel arrangement, a development which he said fostered unity between the two neighbours.
He said Zimbabweans constituted the largest foreigners in Botswana. He looked up to experts in finance and investment issues to play a guiding and leading role in the endeavours by prospective diaspora investors in mobilizing their participation through different models.
Those in the diaspora, he said, must be guided by those at home to identify bankable projects. He said he believed that using the accountants influential positions in their countries could also help.
He commended participants for hosting the conference in Maun to dialogue important issues saying such activities were of significant value in the collective journey to economic and social progress.
Their deliberations, he said, would serve as a catalyst to strengthening the institute and help keep the profession relevant today and in future and make the chartered accountant a reference point for those who sought guidance on financial and economic matters.
The trending discourse in the diplomatic arena and beyond, he said, nowadays had been the clarion call for achieving economic diplomacy. Mr Mukunoweshuro said that was not to say the traditional diplomacy which mostly formed on political relations known all the years had no more relevance in today’s globalised village.
He added: “But only to say that the emphasis is now on alarming transactional economic activities to ensure that our own country’s diplomatic missions achieve this goal. Dialogues such as Winter School serves as part of economic diplomacy since they bring together experts in the fields of finance, investment and business and explore how our respective communities, businesses and countries can do things in a better and more efficient manner and to also interrogate how the current methods that deemed satisfactory can be enhanced for the advancement of the common good.”
Mr Mukunoweshuro said the embassy remained open to Zimbabweans of all walks as they call upon all distinguished diasporas who belong to professional bodies like the Institute of Chartered Accountants to join forces with the embassy in luring investments into the motherland and also investing as diaspora consortiums in mega projects back home.
The annual Winter School conference was held under the theme “Leadership, impact, opportunities and growth” and it attracted delegates from various industry sectors to deliberate on different issues that affected the global business community.
For More News And Analysis About Botswana Follow Africa-Press
