EU chief hails partnership with Botswana
Mbongeni Mguni | Friday January 27, 2023 12:25
Mmegi: Kindly elaborate on the reasons for the visit to Botswana and what position this country holds in terms of strategic interest or importance to the European Union?Borrell: The EU and Botswana are like-minded partners.
We share an excellent partnership and for the EU Botswana is a reliable partner, which we can count on, also because of its constructive voice at the multilateral level. Botswana stands out as a stable democratic nation with a strong commitment to human rights and good governance and has always been considered as a role model of peace, stability and democracy in the region.
Economically, we also have strong ties and the EU remains the main origin of foreign direct investment (FDI) in Botswana and it is the second biggest trade partner after South Africa.
In addition, the EU and Botswana share many common values, we are largely aligned on human rights issues and cooperate on a wide range of areas.
I had the pleasure to meet President Masisi when he was in Brussels in November 2021, and I am confident that my visit will further enhance our good cooperation we have on many topics of common interest. Digitalisation for example, is a priority for the President, materialised in the SmartBots Strategy, and it is also amongst the top of our priorities for our cooperation with Botswana.
In terms of development cooperation, we focus on green transformation, economic diversification and jobs. Botswana has a massive renewable energy potential and is a good example in the area of biodiversity conservation. We are looking forward to working with the government on renewable energy, in particular solar energy, which can also contribute to the much needed creation of employment, especially for the youth.
Mmegi: We have seen the European Investment Bank committing one billion euros to South Africa in concessional loans recently, while individual EU states have also made similar commitments to South Africa. Botswana is amongst the world’s most fossil fuel dependent countries, but the government also has a firm timeline for shifting most of the generation to renewables. What role does the HRVP see the European Union and its technical and financial institutions playing in partnering that transition?
Borrell: Botswana is one of the world’s best countries for solar power production, but this clean and endless power source is still largely untapped in the country. And while the cost of solar-powered electricity has plummeted in recent decades, it is today less expensive than coal-fired electricity generation, Botswana’s main power source.
Botswana spends hundreds of billions of dollars importing electricity each year to cover the gap between its own production and national demand and clearly solar power and renewable energy could be very important for Botswana.
Therefore, we welcome Botswana’s recent efforts to rapidly increase the share of renewable energy in the country’s electricity generation mix.
Transition to renewable power could not just replace costly power imports, but also create in the longer term the opportunity to export electricity to power-deficient neighbours – and in addition make important contributions to cut greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change.
As a clean energy powerhouse, Botswana would have a new source of national income that will help to create new jobs, diversify the economy, and become a green and clean role-model, adding to Botswana’s image as one of Africa’s model in terms of stability and democracy.
The EU has committed €5.5 million in 2022 as part of its new programming to help Botswana improve the enabling environment for renewable energy production (as well as to improve energy efficiency) through specialised technical assistance. As the EU’s development bank, the EIB is also willing to extend credit to independent power producers to set up solar farms under certain conditions.
Mmegi: There has been much talk about a “just transition” and “climate justice” in recent times. Is the EU prepared to give countries such as Botswana both the time and support required to transition their economies from a reliance on fossil fuels, given the increasing pace of climate change and its various adverse effects?
Borrell: Climate change is a global challenge that concerns all of us. We can all feel its effects, in Europe and in Africa, and all over the globe. Record temperatures, floods and droughts have struck all continents in recent months as climate change wreaks havoc, killing people, destroying livelihoods, and reducing biodiversity.
The fight against climate change needs to be a global effort and we all need to work together at the international level.
Botswana has made its nationally determined contributions and we said it loud and clear: the EU and its member states, as what we call “Team Europe”, stand ready to help Botswana achieve its renewable energy ambitions with both financial and technical support.
Botswana and the world as a whole cannot afford to not transition to solar, wind and other renewables. Keeping fossil fuels in the ground is in the entire world’s best interest: we are in an acute climate crisis and we need to act now. There is no planet B.
Mmegi: In September, the HRVP mentioned that over and above the 89 million euros provided to help the Cabo Delgado conflict in Mozambique, the EU was finalising direct funding to the SADC forces who have been engaged there since July 2021.
At this point, is it possible to elaborate on how much this funding will be for SADC troops, whether it is funding alone or also technical assistance and when this is due to be deployed? Borrell: During Botswana’s chairmanship of the SADC Organ for Politics, Security and Defence from 2020 to 2021, President Masisi was very active to shape SADC’s role with respect to the crisis in Mozambique/Cabo Delgado. A particular achievement had been SAMIM, SADC’s Military Mission in Mozambique, to which Botswana’s also contributes in terms of military staff.
The European Union is supporting Mozambique with a variety of instruments and an integrated approach to Cabo Delgado, which focuses on peacebuilding, conflict prevention and dialogue support, as well as on humanitarian assistance and development cooperation.
We support Mozambique on a bilateral basis, with also 89 million euro to support the Mozambican armed forces trained by our EU Training Mission. In addition, we put in place an assistance measure worth €20 million to support the continued deployment of Rwanda Defence Force in Cabo Delgado province.
And we support the regional SAMIM force with 15 million euros.
This support serves to fund SAMIM’s military component and to procure various pieces of equipment, like vehicles, containers, technology assets, and medical equipment.