Russia displeased with paltry Namibia-Russia trade turnover

16 Nov 2017 16:00pm
WINDHOEK, 16 NOV (NAMPA) - The Deputy Prime Minister and Special Envoy to the President of Russia, Yuri Trutnev told President Hage Geingob that he is not pleased with trade turnover between Russia and Namibia at a meeting at State House on Thursday.
I am ashamed that our total turnover stands at N.dollars 899 000, Trutnev noted.
Trutnev was speaking in his capacity as Chairman of the Russian Delegation that attended the Seventh Session of the Namibia-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation on Tuesday and Wednesday here.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah was the leader of the Namibian delegation.
The event was aimed at promoting increased trade and investment flow between Namibia and Russia.
Trutnev told Geingob that Japan and Korea, which have much more remote relations with Russia than Namibia, have assigned special representatives to develop trade and economic cooperation with Russia.
He added that those special representations are subordinates to the presidents of those countries and they are responsible for their trade and economic cooperation.
If you could accomplish the same task, we would stand ready to organise the procedure and within two or three months present a plan upon the implementation of which we would be able to increase our turnover many times, he said.
The plan, Trutnev said, would require some effort on the part of the government.
But I think that the goal of preserving our friendly relations is worth doing so, he noted.
In response to Trutnevs sentiments, Geingob agreed that Namibia and Russias relationship after Namibias independence is not the same as it was during the liberation struggle, because there were internal changes in the Soviet Union.
The restructuring created a gap which was filled by others who were not close to us after our independence. That is why we are saying all of us should restart it [the friendly relations].
Nandi-Ndaitwah, also in her response to the Russian deputy premier, said the high turnover of trade between the two countries was achieved at a time when Namibia was setting up its infrastructure, giving specific reference to the army.
She however emphasised that the two countries are now looking at trade relations in sectors such as fishing and mining.
Trutnev and his delegation will leave Namibia on Friday.