Niël Terblanché
Namibia is seeking to strengthen its energy and trade ties with Russia, with a focus on cooperation in natural resource beneficiation and infrastructure development.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah met with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Trutnev at State House on Tuesday to discuss areas of mutual interest, particularly energy and value addition to Namibia’s raw materials.
According to Presidential Press Secretary, Alfredo Hengari, the meeting centred on increasing collaboration between the two countries to add value to Namibia’s natural resources.
“The President reiterated the need for stronger cooperation with the Russian Federation in the area of energy, which has been prioritised as key to the prosperity of the Namibian people,” Hengari told the Namibian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC).
He added that Nandi-Ndaitwah also “implored the Deputy Prime Minister on the necessity to beneficiate natural resources.”
Namibia is home to some of the world’s largest uranium reserves, while Russia is a major player in the nuclear energy sector.
During the meeting, President Nandi-Ndaitwah said it was not good economic policy for Namibia to continue exporting raw materials, including uranium, without first processing them locally.
Hengari said that Trutnev agreed with this position.
The discussions also touched on education, with a focus on skills development.
According to Hengari, many Namibian students are currently pursuing their studies in Russia, and both sides acknowledged the importance of ensuring that these students acquire the necessary expertise to contribute meaningfully to Namibia’s development.
During his working visit to Namibia, Trutnev also held talks with Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, the Minister of International Relations and Trade.
According to the Russian Embassy in Namibia, the two explored opportunities to expand trade, economic, and humanitarian cooperation.
The embassy shared details of the meeting through its official channels, where Trutnev described Namibia as one of Russia’s key partners in Africa.
Trutnev, who also serves as Chairman of the Russian part of the Intergovernmental Russian-Namibian Trade and Economic Cooperation Commission, described Namibia as one of Russia’s key partners on the African continent.
“Russia always values reliable friends. I am sure we will develop relations between our countries. We are waiting for proposals from the Namibian side and are ready for further work,” he said.
Ashipala-Musavyi shared these sentiments during the meeting and said that while political relations between the two nations remain strong, there is a need to bring economic ties to the same level.
She referred to her recent talks with Russia’s Ambassador to Namibia, Dmitry Lobach, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation.
Preparations are already underway for the next IPC meeting, scheduled to take place in Windhoek in 2025, where both parties are expected to present concrete proposals for advancing joint projects.
