GABORONE, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Botswana and Lesotho on Thursday vowed to deepen their strategic partnership and deliver tangible benefits for both countries.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the Botswana-Lesotho Binational Commission, Botswanan President Duma Boko underscored cementing long-standing ties through structured engagement between the two countries bound by shared history, language, and culture.
Boko said the new framework marks a shift from episodic diplomacy to structured, purposeful, and result-driven partnership, focused on implementation. He identified water and energy, trade and investment, agriculture, education, defense, and natural resource management as priority areas.
On trade, Boko urged the removal of cross-border barriers and leveraging complementary strengths under the African Continental Free Trade Area. He announced Botswana's pledge of 100,000 doses of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine to Lesotho, calling it a demonstration of regional solidarity.
Boko reiterated plans for the Botswana-Lesotho water transfer project, including a new dam in Lesotho and a 5-megawatt hydropower station in southern Botswana.
Lesotho's Prime Minister Sam Matekane described the binational commission as a beacon of partnership, anchored in shared prosperity and regional integration. He stressed water security and proposed harnessing Lesotho's hydropower alongside Botswana's solar resources for energy security.
On the economy, Matekane highlighted agriculture, industrialization, and trade, calling for harmonized standards and joint ventures to move beyond raw-material exports toward value addition in manufacturing and mineral beneficiation. He also proposed strengthened coordination on defense, crime control, intelligence sharing, and border management to tackle transnational threats.
During the inaugural session, a Memorandum of Understanding on Trade and Investment was signed between the Botswana Investment and Trade Center and the Lesotho National Development Corporation. ■