President Duma Gideon Boko of the Republic of Botswana hosted a state dinner at the Presidential Palace in honour of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and to celebrate His Majesty’s visit.

Before the dinner, the Omani Royal Anthem and Botswana’s national anthem were played.

The President of Botswana delivered an address, in which he expressed his profound pride in this auspicious visit, renewing his welcome to His Majesty and his accompanying delegation.

He said that the occasion constitutes a momentous milestone in strengthening the bonds of amity between the two countries and entrenching the march of joint cooperation, opening new horizons for development and prosperity.

The President said that His Majesty’s historic visit to Botswana constitutes a precious opportunity to lay the foundations for strengthening bilateral relations and exploring new horizons for cooperation between the two friendly countries. He affirmed his country’s commitment to this relationship and to working towards its development with seriousness, clarity and a steadfast resolve to achieve success.

His Majesty then delivered an address on as follows:

“Your Excellency President Duma Gideon Boko,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to be with you this evening. I wish to express my sincere appreciation to Your Excellency, the Government and the people of Botswana for the warm welcome and generous hospitality extended to us since our arrival.

“This first visit to the Republic of Botswana is a special occasion for us and an important milestone in the growing friendship between our two countries. We have come with a genuine desire to know Botswana and its people more closely, and to build a relationship that brings our two nations and peoples closer together.

“Although separated by geography, Oman and Botswana share much in common. Our countries value peace and stability, believe in dialogue and mutual respect, and recognise the importance of pursuing development in a manner that creates opportunity and prosperity for future generations.

“We are pleased by how quickly our relations have developed. The growing diplomatic engagement between our two countries, together with the steps being taken to strengthen our respective representation, reflects our shared confidence in the future of this relationship.

“We are equally encouraged by the partnerships already taking shape between our institutions and businesses. The agreements and the memoranda of understanding reached between our two governments, including those to be signed during this visit, provide a strong foundation upon which we can continue to broaden our cooperation and create lasting opportunities for our peoples.

“We believe that the establishment of joint investment projects in this country is considered one of the key pillars in creating employment opportunities for citizens, and from our prospective, this is more important than simply generating profits. Accordingly, our strategy is to ensure that the benefits of these projects are extended and shared widely, whether in Botswana or the Sultanate of Oman.

“The strength of relations between nations ultimately extends beyond agreements and institutions. It is built through understanding between people, through cultural exchanges. We hope that this new chapter between Oman and Botswana will increasingly be defined by such connections.

“We greatly value the friendship that has developed between our two countries, and we look forward with confidence to seeing it deepen in the years ahead.

“May I invite you all to join me in wishing Your Excellency continued good health and success, the people of Botswana continued progress and prosperity, and the friendship between the Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Botswana a long and flourishing future.

Thank you.”

The dinner was attended by Ministers, members of Botswana’s Parliament, Ambassadors and business leaders.