Botswana: Australia Commends Botswana
02 May 2019
Published by https://allafrica.com
BOTSWANA/AUSTRALIA – Gaborone — Australia considers Botswana a well-run country, says the country’s outgoing high commissioner Mr Adam McCarthy.
In an interview after bidding President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi farewell, Mr McCarthy observed that Botswana had taken courageous decisions on a number of issues including the International Criminal Court.
He also applauded former presidents Mr Festus Mogae and the late Sir Ketumile Masire for their work on the international stage.
On other issues, he said Botswana and Australia had enjoyed warm and substantive relations over the years.
Mr McCarthy said one of the highlights of bilateral cooperation between the two countries was Botswana’s fire management project.
He said through the New South Wales Rural Fire Services, Mr McCarthy said his government managed to roll out techniques Australia used in fighting bush fires to Botswana.
Australia also donated six firefighter trucks to Botswana, he revealed.
Mr McCarthy further noted that Botswana and Australia had been working together on the Savanna Fire Management Programme which offered a solution to unrestrained wildfires that worsened global warming.
He said since bush fires were a huge problem in Australia, his government had embarked on research and put in effort and time to minimise them.
The Savanna Fire Management Programme, he explained, offered Botswana techniques on reducing bush fires.
He said Australia and Botswana also cooperated in the areas of education and that throughout the years, his government had managed to launch an Alumni Association.
The Australian government had in the past offered scholarships in areas of agriculture, natural resources and governance to Batswana for further studies in Australia and continued to do so.
Source : BOPA
