The sixth session of the South Africa-Botswana National Bilateral Committee: Doma Poku receives Cyril Ramaphosa.
Deepening the partnership and achieving common interests for the people of both countries
Written by Ziad Abdel Fattah:
The president received Botswana Doma Poku, President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, during his visit to Botswana, in his capacity as co-chair of the sixth session of the South Africa-Botswana National Bilateral Commission.
The visit reflects the strategic importance of relations between the two countries, and the shared commitment to deepening cooperation in the areas of trade, infrastructure, energy, security, and regional integration.
The National Bilateral Committee is a platform for cooperation in the fields of trade.
The National Bilateral Committee remains a vital platform for driving implementation, strengthening partnership, and achieving tangible results that benefit the people of Botswana and South Africa.
The sixth session of the Botswana-South Africa National Bilateral Committee kicked off in the Botswanan capital, Gaborone, a few days ago, with a meeting of senior officials, as part of efforts to strengthen strategic relations between the two countries.
Assessing progress made since the fifth session
The meeting aims to assess the progress made since the fifth session held in Pretoria in 2022, as well as to explore new areas of joint cooperation in multiple sectors including trade, energy, agriculture, tourism, security, transport and technology.
The National Bilateral Committee is a high-level cooperation mechanism established under an agreement signed in 2012, with the aim of deepening the partnership and achieving the common interests of the people of the two countries.
While the meeting of senior officials began on May 17, 2026 and continued until May 19, 2026, the meetings are scheduled to continue with ministerial meetings and a summit of heads of state on May 20 and 21.
The sixth session of the Botswana-South Africa Joint National Bilateral Committee opened in the Botswanan capital, Gaborone, on Wednesday, in a move that reflects the two countries' keenness to strengthen their strategic relations and expand areas of joint cooperation in various sectors.
The high-level meetings were chaired by the Minister of International Relations of the Republic of Botswana, Dr. Venio Butale, and the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of the Republic of South Africa, Ronald Lamola, with the participation of government officials and representatives of a number of institutions and bodies concerned with bilateral cooperation.
The National Bilateral Committee is the main mechanism for organizing and developing relations between the two countries, providing a platform to review existing agreements and explore new partnership opportunities in the political, economic, security and trade fields.
The current session focuses on a number of issues of common interest, including promoting trade, developing infrastructure projects, facilitating the movement of people and goods, as well as cooperation in the fields of security, energy and education.
