23.08.2011 - Visit to Namibia by German Minister Dirk Niebel 26 - 29 August 2011
Between 26 and 29 August the Federal German Minister for Economic Co-operation and Development Mr Dirk Niebel will pay an official visit to the Republic of Namibia. The Minister will be accompanied by the State Secretary within the Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development, Mr Hans-Jürgen Beerfetz.
The fact that Minister Niebel is visiting Namibia twice within only two years underlines the close and intensive bilateral co-operation between the two countries.
During his visit Minister Niebel will meet His Excellency President Hifikepunye Pohamba, the Minister for Education, Hon. Dr Abraham Iyambo, the Head of the National Planning Commission, Hon. Tom Alweendo, other high-ranking political leaders and representatives of business, non-profit organisations, political foundations and public implementing organisations.
The official visit will inter alia focus on the management of natural resources, renewable energy and vocational training.
In the field of energy Minister Niebel will have the possibility to talk about private involvement in the decentralised power supply on the basis of solar energy. This is done to improve the power supply stability in rural areas and to create the provisions for economic development. Being aware of Namibia’s needs in the education sector, Federal Minister Niebel will discuss the subject of the increase of German development co-operation in the field of vocational training with Hon. Dr Abraham Iyambo.
Minister Niebel will gain an insight into the practical bilateral development co-operation by visiting certain projects, such as
· the Ruacana hydroelectric power plant and
· the Bwabwata National Park which is part of the newly launched Kavango-Zambezi-Transfrontier Park (KAZA), the Federal Republic of Germany supports with other development partners.
He will also attend Ohorongo’s opening ceremony of the German-Namibian project “Energy for Future”. This public private partnership project aims to use biomass from invasive bush to supply a cement plant with energy.
In addition to that, the minister will attend a forum in Windhoek organised in co-operation with the Global Compact Network Namibia. The event will allow Namibian entrepreneurs insight into their role to develop the country and how they could benefit in that from German Development Co-operation.
[Niebel underlines: ”I find the project especially persuading, as with one single measure many other targets can be reached.” The energy supply by biomass can combat the national problem of over-bushing. With this project the targets like climate protection, recuperation of agricultural space, fight against poverty, conservation of biodiversity, increase of the water table, employment and energy autonomy can be reached at the same time. The project can also be seen as a model of public-private-partnership. It shows what an important role the private sector plays in terms of innovative approaches to develop and foster the economical development of a country.]
On Monday, 29 August Minister Niebel will return to Berlin.
