Namibia is ready to work together with Belgium and other countries to ensure that the energy transition takes place smoothly without major interruptions to global energy sufficiency.
President Nangolo Mbumba provided this assurance during official talks with visiting King Philippe of the Belgians at State House today.
President Mbumba is hosting the King of the Belgians at a time when the two countries are working tirelessly at the government and private sector levels to realise the vision of a reduced carbon print.
The Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2021 outlines cooperation in green hydrogen and green ammonia.
Another agreement was signed in 2022 between the Namibian Ports Authority and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges International to collaborate on green energy solutions, infrastructure development, and capacity building.
It further allows for the establishment of a green hydrogen supply chain between the two ports.
"Namibia is standing on the verge of a possible energy boom in the traditional hydrocarbon sector, given recent exciting discoveries of oil and gas in our oceans. We see these discoveries as supplementary to our collective quest to transition towards cleaner sources of energy, such as green hydrogen. Namibia is ready to work together with Belgium and other friends to ensure that the energy transition takes place smoothly without major interruptions to global energy sufficiency. We view the traditional oil and gas sector as transitional, whereas cleaner energy sources are meant to usher in a climate-friendly, green future."
The visit by the King of the Belgians also provides Namibia and Belgium with the opportunity to further strengthen bilateral relations in a diverse range of other sectors.
"To this extent, significant progress was made under our late President Dr. Hage G. Geingob and Hon. Alexander de Croo, Prime Minister of Belgium, resulting in ongoing people-to-people projects such as the twining between Ongwediva town and the city of Lommel in Belgium, cooperation in the area of desertification with our line ministry, and humanitarian projects including the Hope Village."
King of the Belgians, King Philippe, says, "In a world where conflicts and wars are at risk, taking our attention away from global challenges like climate change and the need to transform our economies, it is important to work with partner countries that share this vision to protect our environment and our resources and act upon it. We are here to witness this partnership and to show our long-term commitment. The success of your country and the resilience of your population since independence are impressive. Like Belgium, Namibia is strongly committed to democracy and rights."
In addition to bilateral trade, the two countries collaborate through the Namibia-European Union frameworks.
This is inclusive of the duty and quota-free access to the EU market for some Namibian products and industries.