Foreign Affairs wants N$540m

FOREIGN Affairs Minister Utoni Nujoma says the country needs a wider global network of foreign missions, and has asked a more than N$540 million budget from the national treasury to do so.

Namibia has 28 foreign missions, with the ministry requesting N$105,3 million to buy new diplomatic premises and maintain existing ones, which makes up the entirety of the ministry’s proposed development budget. More than N$437 million was proposed for its operational budget, which includes the missions abroad. For services, overall policy development and management, the ministry wants N$40,8 million, and N$14,4 million for protocol and consular affairs. It further wants N$14,9 million to conduct bilateral affairs, and N$20,6 million for its multilateral affairs in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Southern African Customs Union (Sacu), and the Non-Aligned Movement. Last year, Namibia was visited by the Heads of State Armando Guebuza from Mozambique, John Evans Atta Mills from Ghana.President Hifikepunye Pohamba has visited Angola, Zambia, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, and China. Nujoma undertook a number of visits and received his counterparts from Russia, Brazil, Spain, Serbia, Austria, the Czech Republic, Zimbabwe, Iran, Vietnam, and Portugal. Nujoma said nine visits are planned for the new financial year, but would not elaborate on these since most have not yet been confirmed. During the last financial year, Namibia hosted joint commissions of cooperation with Brazil, the Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, and the Russian Federation. This year, eight joint commissions will be held with Angola, Indonesia, Mozambique, Tanzania, Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria, and Kenya.