Frederick Philander
25 July 2008
Windhoek — "Our relations with African countries are historical as the liberation of the continent started way back in the 50s and 60s by hosting and training freedom fighters and supplying them with arms and ammunition."
So said the Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Mohamed Hadi Mostafa El Tonsi on Wednesday evening at the National Theatre of Namibia in celebration of his country's 56th anniversary of the 23rd July 1952 revolution.
"This is a history that we share as well with Namibia, when Egypt hosted the first Swapo office in Cairo, forming the first Swapo military battalion and along came the diplomatic support until the Independence of Namibia.
"After Independence came the second phase of the Egyptian support to the country in the form of strong technical cooperation," El Tonsi said.
According to him, 300 experts were seconded to Namibia, and Egypt received 150 trainees to help in capacity building of a new and young Namibian nation.
"This technical cooperation included various fields primarily in medicine, engineering, education, agriculture, policing, media and information in addition to diplomacy.
"It is against this background that Namibia has appointed its first ambassador to Egypt as well as for the Middle East in April this year," he said.
He said thanks to a visit of the Namibian minister of education with his counterpart in Egypt, annual scholarships for Namibian students have been availed in the fields of medicine, geology, architecture and engineering.
The Speaker of the National Assembly, Theo-Ben Gurirab, and the Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Richard Kamwi, are both scheduled to visit Egypt in October this year.
"Apart from the role Egypt has played through its experts in the development of sister African and Arab countries, and its leading efforts in political and diplomatic areas, Egypt is also a cultural regional power because of its film making industry for more than 100 years, its literature, sometimes winning Nobel prizes, music and art. We believe that it is primordial to enhance mutual knowledge among African people through the exchange of art material," Ambassador El Tonsi, who mentioned that his country is working with other partners to bring justice and everlasting peace to the Middle East, said.
"A Middle East that is free of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction - an everlasting call by President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak since the 90s and until attained with God's will. Also the Egyptian Government has responded positively to President Pohamba's appeal to help the distressed brothers and sisters in the flood-stricken areas of your country by sending medical and food donations worth more than N$750 000 to be delivered early next month," he said.
The Egyptian envoy said trade and investment between the two countries should be promoted more.
"Our embassy is doing its level best to promote trade and investment.
"Recently, we organized two successful visits with two Egyptian companies involved in food production, electricity and cables. Follow-up visits to Namibia are on the cards," he concluded.
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