Japan to open embassy in Botswana

| Friday April 13, 2007 00:00

 

'Everybody seems to wear a smile here, you are all happy people,' they said.  The Japanese envoys said that they intended to open the embassy towards end of this year or by early next year.  They explained that they were still engaged in talks with the Botswana government on the issue and were hopeful it would soon be finalised.

 

Japan is the second biggest consumer of Botswana diamonds and the second largest economy after United States of America (US). 

Last year, President Festus Mogae and Botswana Export Development and Investment Agency (BEDIA) delegation visited Tokyo where they met with the business community, urging them to come and invest in Botswana.

A variety of events including 'Botswana Week in Japan' at which Botswana diamonds, culture and tourism sites were showcased, were held.  

The Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Kitso Mokaila, was in the presidential entourage and held separate meetings with an association for Japanese tour operators.

 

In an interview later, Mokaila said he was confident that Botswana would benefit from a million Japanese tourists.  There were even suggestions that a direct air link between Gaborone and Tokyo be established to make it cheaper and easier for the Japanese to visit tourist destinations in Botswana. 

Japan has a population of over 120 million and offers development assistance to various African countries. Japanese engineers conducted the initial environmental impact assessment study to facilitate the proposed construction of the Kazungula Bridge across the Zambezi River to connect Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.