Happy New Year to all!
As noted in my previous blog, 2011 marked a significant strengthening of UK-Namibian relations. Looking forward, I am happy to say that 2012 already looks set to hold a number of significant events that will help boost our bilateral links further and provide plenty of reasons for celebration.
This year, the UK will host the Great Show on Earth – the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games – and will also celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee to commemorate her 60 year reign. Plenty of Namibians will be participating in the Games and many more will be welcomed to London to join in the wider festivities and have a chance to build on the many strong ties of business, culture, education and friendship between our two nations.
It was in this spirit that I travelled to Katutura State Hospital this morning to meet the first baby born in Windhoek this year – at 1 16am on 1 January – to Peyambeko Ingashipola from Havana, Katutura. The beautiful baby girl does not yet have a name as Peyambeko is still recovering from the birth before travelling to her home to settle on an appropriate one the wider family.
I presented the proud mother with a special London 2012 Olympics Shirt to signify the growing links between our two nations during this important year.
Few things can symbolise the coming of the new than the sight of a healthy newborn baby cradled in the arms of a proud new mother. It was a really fitting start to 2012.
As we enter the New Year, I look forward to developing plenty of new UK-Namibian babies of my own:
I continue to encourage all Brits in Namibia to get in touch with the British High Commission to assist us with our UK Namibian Mapping Exercise: we want to find out who you are, where you are and what you are up to.
I plan to develop an event’s plan for our nascent British Business Group: we already have plenty of significant British firms signed up but please get in touch even if you are just considering doing UK-Namibian business: we would be delighted to help and link you up with relevant members.
I hope to continue my familiarisation travels around Namibia to get to know this vast country better. Having been west to the coast (Swakopmund and Walvis Bay), north to Oshana (mainly around Oshakati and Ondangwa) and east as far as Gobabis (for Heroes’ Day)
I now aim to head north east to the Caprivi in the next few months to get to know this unique region and then down to the south later in the year, all plans permitting. Do let me know about any British linked activities, personalities or even historic ties to both these regions and I will be delighted to incorporate them if possible.
So, 2012 is set to be a lively year. I extend a welcome to all Namibians to visit the UK at this historic time to see what makes it such a great place to visit, live, work, invest and do business – and to those remaining at home in Namibia, I look forward to working with you locally to boost our links still further, to increase bilateral trade and investment, and to create more ties of friendship over the year to come.