Media Release
17 June, 2009
Visit by Botswana Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
Botswana's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr Phandu Skelemani, is visiting Australia from Tuesday 16 to Thursday 18 June 2009.
I will meet Mr Skelemani in Canberra today, Wednesday 17 June.
I previously met with Mr Skelemani in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in January this year.
Mr Skelemani's visit represents an important moment in Australia's relationship with Botswana. This is the first official visit to Australia by a Foreign Minister from Botswana and underlines the growing high-level engagement between our two countries.
Botswana and Australia have established a very warm and substantial relationship. Mr Skelemani's visit provides an opportunity to discuss how we can expand cooperation in a range of areas.
Australian companies are active in Botswana's minerals and resources industry. Education links are also strong, with around 400 Botswanan students in Australian academic institutions. Australia will offer additional scholarships to Botswana as part of Australia's expanding scholarships program in Africa.
Australia is proud to help Botswana in areas where we face common challenges: the NSW Rural Fire Service recently commenced a five-year program, jointly funded by the Governments of Botswana and Australia, to assist authorities in Botswana in fire prevention and management.
We also work closely together in the Commonwealth.
In our meeting today we will also discuss Zimbabwe. Botswana has taken a strong and principled position in calling for political reform in Zimbabwe. I will explore with Mr Skelemani how Australia and Botswana can work together to address further the political and humanitarian challenges facing Zimbabwe.
SADC, the Southern African Development Community, of which Botswana is a member, has an important role as guarantor of the power-sharing agreement in Zimbabwe, to ensure parties adhere to the terms of the agreement.
This afternoon I will join Mr Skelemani at the opening of Botswana's new High Commission building in Deakin.
Media inquiries:
- Mr Smith's office 02 6277 7500
- Departmental Media Liaison 02 6261 1555