Randy Berry, the US ambassador to Namibia, announced yesterday during a media roundtable discussion in Windhoek that the two countries had inked a five-year agreement to support the growth of farmer cooperatives.
In accordance with the agreement, a co-funding project worth US$10 million (or approximately N$177 million at the current currency rate) will be used to support the expansion of producer associations, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and farmer cooperatives in rural areas.
The main objective is to increase their competitiveness in domestic, international, and regional markets.
“The US African Development Foundation and the Namibian government, through the Ministry of Industrialization and Trade, signed a five-year, US$10 million co-funding agreement during the US Africa Leaders Summit in December last year,” he added.
Berry emphasized that recent triumphs have led to a strong commercial relationship between the United States and Namibia.
He added that the Namibian government and other partners have been working closely with the US Global AIDS Coordinator Dr. John Nkengasong to establish methods for reaching and maintaining the 95-95-95 HIV-AIDS target.
Nkengasong revealed during his visit that the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (Pepfar) will provide money worth US$88 million (about N$1,5 billion at the current exchange rate that) to support the national HIV/tuberculosis (TB) response for the year 2023, according to Berry.
He claimed that this financing is crucial to Namibia’s efforts to meet the 95-95-95 targets of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV-AIDS and eradicate HIV as a public health issue by 2030.
Berry also discussed upcoming events planned to improve bilateral connections between the two countries.
He stated that today’s meetings with maritime stakeholders would be held by Jessye Lapenn, senior coordinator for Atlantic Cooperation in the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs.
With an emphasis on maritime law enforcement and governance, sustainable ocean-based economies, and climate and environmental concerns, he said, she will interact with a variety of stakeholders.
The US embassy also has vice presidents for research coming next week from other American colleges.
This event’s main goal is to strengthen and advance collaborations between the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and education.