16 June 2025
Botswana’s Vice President and Finance Minister Ndaba Gaolathe is set to sign a landmark Country Partnership Framework with the OPEC Fund for International Development during a working visit to Austria this week.
In a statement on Monday, the Botswana government said Gaolathe would be in the Austrian capital Vienna this week to attend the 2025 OPEC Fund Development Forum, scheduled for 17-18 June.
It said the agreement, covering the period 2025-2029, would establish a roadmap for cooperation in priority sectors.
“While in Vienna, the Vice President, also Minister of Finance, will deliver a keynote address in the high-level session on Digital Acceleration for Growth and Inclusion, and sign the Country Partnership Framework (CPF) with the OPEC Fund, outlining a four-year roadmap (2025-2029) for cooperation in priority sectors including energy, infrastructure, and innovation,” the statement said.
The CPF would be a significant step forward for Botswana in mobilising high-impact investment and strengthening global development partnerships. The OPEC Fund, renowned for its support of sustainable development financing in emerging and developing economies, has facilitated similar CPFs for other countries that serve as blueprints for strategic engagement and policy-driven collaboration.
In addition to signing the agreement, Gaolathe is expected deliver a keynote address on “Digital Acceleration for Growth and Inclusion” during the OPEC Fund Development Forum and hold strategic bilateral meetings with leading development financiers and multilateral banks to further advocate Botswana’s economic reform agenda and investment potential.
The forum, which brings together heads of state, finance ministers, global policy-makers and institutional investors, aims to promote inclusive growth, build climate resilience, advance digital transformation and enhance South-South cooperation.
Source: https://rb.gy/76lblx
