Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa on Tuesday began a three-day state visit to Botswana to develop trade and economic cooperation between the Southern African neighbours.
It is the first visit by Mwanawasa to Botswana since taking office in 2002.
Botswana’s ambassador to Zambia, Zibani Nthakhwane, said the main focus of the visit will be trade and developing the first road link between the two neighbours.
”Nothing much has been taking place in terms of trade relations between Botswana and Zambia,” Nthankhwane said. ”Botswana is more interested in the envisaged Kazungula bridge, which will link the two countries and hopefully improve trade between the two.”
The bridge will replace a ferry at the main border crossing at Livingstone where the Zambezi river flows.
Mwanawasa is scheduled to visit the world’s richest diamond mine in Jwaneng and an abattoir run by the Botswana Meat Commission, and meet with Zambians residing in Botswana before returning home.
Earlier, Botswana’s Director General of Foreign Affairs, Clifford Maribe, was quoted by the South African Press Association (Sapa) as saying that Mwanawasa will also visit the Mashatu game reserve, famous for its elephants.
Sapa said the trip is aimed at getting Mwanawasa’s support for Botswana’s bid to persuade the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) to allow Gaborone to trade freely in ivory.
At the last Cites conference in Bangkok in October, Botswana won support for a one-off sale of existing ivory stocks, only the second since an international ivory trading ban was introduced 15 years ago. — Sapa-AFP