Zambia and Botswana Deepen Cooperation with Launch of Bi-National Commission

Zambia and Botswana have officially launched the inaugural session of their Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Lusaka, marking a significant step forward in strengthening bilateral ties between the two neighbouring countries.

During the opening ceremony, Botswana’s High Commissioner to Zambia, Alpheus Matlhaku, highlighted the strides already made in key sectors such as trade, infrastructure, agriculture, education, tourism, defence, and security. He pointed to high-level exchange visits and a number of signed agreements as concrete indicators of the deepening partnership.

Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Permanent Secretary Etambuyu Gundersen underscored the importance of translating the Commission’s discussions into actionable outputs. She urged technical teams to refine their contributions ahead of the upcoming Ministerial Meeting to ensure alignment with strategic objectives.

Replacing the former Joint Permanent Commission, the new Bi-National Commission serves as the highest-level platform for cooperation between the two nations.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mulambo Haimbe, emphasised the significance of the inaugural session: “It will allow the Presidents to review progress made in the implementation of past decisions and agree on new programmes.”