WASHINGTON, D.C., January 31, 2019 — During his recent visit to Washington, D.C., Edison Sumner, Principal at Sumner Strategic Partners, met with Her Excellency Monica Nashandi, newly appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Namibia to the United States, at the Namibia Embassy, 1605 New Hampshire Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C.
Mr. Sumner, Bahamas Honorary Consul for The Republic of Namibia, and the Ambassador “discussed ongoing trade and commerce relations between Namibia and The Bahamas as well as the promotion of the annual trade mission to Namibia in May 2019.”
“There are tremendous opportunities for bilateral trade between the two countries and efforts are being made to capitalize on those opportunities,” said Mr. Sumner, a former Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation (BCCEC),
The meeting was also attended by other Consuls General from the United States.
Located in southern Africa, The Republic of Namibia’s western border is the Atlantic Ocean and it shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east.
Namibia gained independence from South Africa on March 21, 1990, following the Namibian War of Independence. Its capital and largest city is Windhoek, and it is a member state of the United Nations (UN), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU), and the Commonwealth of Nations.
The Bahamas is among the countries that have established diplomatic relations with Namibia. In her welcoming remarks as Ambassador, published on the Embassy’s website, Ambassador Nashandi said she would seek to “maintain, promote and further strengthen the relations that exist between Namibia and the countries of our accreditation: the United States of America, the Bahamas, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Belize, El Salvador and Honduras.”
She also pledged to “defend and protect the interest of Namibia and that of its nationals in these countries, within the limits permitted by international law.”
“In view of our policy of economic diplomacy, the Embassy continues to market Namibia as the most excellent destination for tourists and an ideal country for trade and investment,” Ambassador Nashandi said. “Finding study opportunities for Namibians in the institutions of higher learning and the promotion of student exchange programs in the countries of accreditation remain high on the agenda.”
The website noted that when it attained independence March 21, 1990, Namibia “adopted a constitution, the supreme law of the land which entrenches multiparty democracy as well as fundamental rights and freedoms.”
“The constitution guarantees the citizens the right of expression and the freedom of association,” the website said. “Since independence, Namibia has maintained an environment conducive to a free press. Namibia also remains committed to a free market economic system and recognizes the role of the private sector in the development process.”
On the tourism front, the website says visitors are invited to “experience the fantastic diversity of plant and animal life as well as the strikingly different climate and landforms found in Namibia.
“Whatever your destination, no two days will be the same,” the website notes. “Each region of the country has something different to offer, inspired by the elements, the surroundings and natural materials. Visit Namibia and experience all the country’s natural wonders and resources. Namibia’s breath-taking landscapes and clean environment make it an attractive place to visit.”
The website also boasts that Namibia “has an abundance of natural resources, among them, a wide range of mineral deposits including world class diamonds and uranium, copper, lead, zinc, gold, semi-precious stones, industrial minerals, salt and fluorspar.”
“Namibia’s agricultural sector is also imperative to the country’s economy with a thriving red meat industry and the cultivation of crops such as maize, wheat, pearl millet, groundnuts, beans and cotton,” the website states. “On the market side, Namibia has preferential trade access to the 190 million inhabitants of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) as one of the 14-member states.”
