Honourable Dr. Phenyo Butale, Minister of International Relations, and his counterpart Honourable Limpho Tau, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Relations of the Kingdom of Lesotho, this morning co-chaired the official opening of the Ministerial segment of the Inaugural Session of the Botswana-Lesotho Bi-National Commission in Gaborone.

Speaking during the occasion, Minister Butale expressed optimism that under the BNC framework, cooperation between the two countries will be characterised by resilient trade, market diversification, value addition, and deeper regional integration. Honourable Butale also underscored that Botswana looks forward to having the Commission directly support the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP), which seeks to foster sustainable innovation, economic diversification, and wealth creation. On his part, Honourable Tau noted that the BNC marks a historic milestone in the bilateral relations between the two countries and that it presents the opportunity to elevate cooperation to new heights anchored in mutual respect, shared values and a vision for collective prosperity and deeper regional integration.