EU’s trade stance ‘very regrettable’, says Pohamba

PRESIDENT Hifikepunye Pohamba has likened the European Union’s trade negotiations with Namibia to the days of apartheid, saying the powerhouse is refusing to treat the country as an equal and listen to its concerns about the controversial economic partnership agreement (EPA).

Speaking to the media after talks with his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma on Tuesday, Pohamba said: ‘Meetings have been held and we put our views across to them. In the normal way they should listen to our problems. They seem not to be listening to us and this is very regrettable.’The President said agreements should be reached between equals after discussions.’We feel that the EU does not discuss with us as equals. And we feel it is like these were (discussions) in the 1960s,’ Times Live quoted Pohamba yesterday.The President’s latest comments are significantly tougher than his previous stance.In his State of the Nation address in April, Pohamba was still diplomatic, preferring to say that ‘more work remains to be done’.Namibia and South Africa are the only countries in the SADC-EPA configuration of seven that still haven’t signed the interim EPA with the EU. At the end of 2007, Namibia provisionally initialled the agreement to ensure that the country’s beef, fish and grapes could enjoy continued tariff- and quota-free access to EU markets.However, the major stumbling blocks remain fears that the EPA will undermine integration in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and that it will also hamper South-South trade with countries like Brazil and China.Namibia is also unhappy about the EU’s refusal to put negotiated assurances on food security, free flow of goods, export taxes and industry protection in writing.’We are still asking them (EU) to listen to us,’ AFP quoted Pohamba after his meeting with Zuma.Zuma’s office yesterday issued a joint communiqué on the RSA-Namibia Heads of State Economic Bilateral Meeting, saying: ‘The two Heads of State reflected on the interim Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union and reiterated their position regarding the implications of this agreement on the SADC regional integration. Both Heads of State agreed to work together to further engage the EU on this matter.’According to the statement, Pohamba and Zuma also expressed their commitment to African unity and integration.Increasing tension has marred the EPA negotiations between Namibia and the EU since the beginning of the year.Towards the end of May, Trade and Industry Minister Hage Geingob publicly lashed out at the EU, accusing the bloc of being unwilling to put crucial assurances in writing and of trying to bulldoze the SADC-EPA configuration into signing the interim EPA.’You cannot sit in boardrooms in Brussels and bulldoze us,’ Geingob told the EU, adding that although Namibia was willing to sign, they would do so only when they were ready.The President has since asked for a comprehensive report on the derailed trade negotiations to be submitted to the Cabinet Committee on Overall Policy and Priorities, chaired by himself.jo-mare@namibian.com.na