The deputy prime minister of Namibia, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has lauded the warm bilateral relations with Uganda.

Netumbo who doubles as the minister for international relations and cooperation said Namibia, on top of warm diplomatic ties with Uganda, he is looking forward to strengthening commercial diplomacy with Uganda.

Addressing journalists at Entebbe International Airport upon arrival on Wednesday for the Non-Aligned Movement NAM summit at Munyonyo Convention Centre in Kampala, he disclosed their urge to grow commercial diplomacy with Uganda that pushed them into appointing the renowned businessman in Uganda, Godfrey Kirumira as their Honorary Consul in the country.

“I am sure that our Honorary Consul is already in touch with the businessmen in both Uganda and Namibia to discuss business opportunities. I am well informed that a team of business people from Uganda will be travelling to Namibia next month to grow collaboration with their counterparts. This will benefit the two friendly countries,” she said.

Netumbo expected to takeover as the next President in Namibia in November of this year after being endorsed by the ruling party emphasised; “Uganda remains one of our reliable friends and every time we have a chance, we come to Uganda because we have to reaffirm and renew that cooperation and that is what I look forward to continue doing.”

“Then particularly with the Honorary Consul here in Uganda and our High Commissioner based in Dar -es-Salam, we are now seriously focusing on the economic diplomacy where we would want to see Ugandan business people investing in Namibia and Namibian business people investing in Uganda,” she said.

She said in Namibia there were plenty of opportunities particularly in the four main areas of the Namibian economy which include the agriculture sector, mineral sector including the discovery of oil, the green hydrogen, fishing industry and the tourism sector.

“We need to market our tourism sectors together. Namibia’s tourism sector is conservation based,” she said.

“We feel this is a good opportunity particularly now that Africa operationalised the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA). So, we want Africans to identify what commodities we could really trade among ourselves as well as give meaning to NAM as well as the G77,” she added.

Kirumira assured the minister that Ugandans were early looking to benefit from the opportunities in Namibia saying that he has already worked to establish necessary networking between business people in Uganda and Namibia.

“Invite Ugandan business people that this is the time to benefit from the business and investment opportunities between the two countries,” he said.

Receiving her on behalf of the government, the Kampala state minister, Kabuye Kyoffatogabye said Namibia’s acceptance to participate in the NAM/G77 summits was the demonstration of continuous strengthening of the brotherhood between the two countries.

“NAM is also going to explore what we call the strengthening of what we call the global south which has demonstrated capacity to fight eventualities including COVID-19 and injustices which our countries,” she said

The 35 member Namibian delegation to NAM and the G77 is led by the Vice President of Namibia Dr. Nangolo Mbumba

The NAM summit is running from January 15-20 under the theme "Deepening Cooperation for Shared Global Affluence’’ at Common Wealth Conventional Centre Munyonyo in Kampala. Meanwhile the G77 under the theme; “Leaving No One Behind” will be hosted between January 21-23 at the same venue.