Sakeus Iikela
In a historic engagement, the Namibia-Russia Parliamentary Friendship Group held its first meeting in Windhoek to fortify the existing cooperation agreement and chart a future course for inter parliamentary interactions.
The meeting was attended by members of the National Council and a delegation of members of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation who are in Namibia on a weeklong working visit.
During the meeting, Chairperson of the Namibia-Russia Parliamentary Friendship Group, John Likando, expressed his appreciation to the presiding officers of both houses – Hon. Lukas Sinimbo Muha, Chairperson of the National Council, and Her Excellency Mrs. Valentina Matvienko, Chairperson of the Federation Council, for their pivotal roles in realising the cooperation agreement between the two chambers of parliament.
“The exchange visits undertaken so far have laid a strong foundation for the implementation of the Cooperation Agreement,” Likando stated, highlighting the importance of continued engagement and collaboration between Namibia and Russia.
Likando emphasised the need for a joint technical working group. This group, composed of staff from both chambers, would maintain the working relationship and momentum of the cooperation agreement.
Likando outlined the National Council’s commitment to learning and exchanging best practices, enhancing the capacity of both Members of Parliament and staff through seminars, workshops, and study visits.
Priority areas for cooperation include the digitalisation of parliamentary activities, boosting tourism and trade, and gaining expertise in health and social welfare.
The meeting also focused on upcoming benchmarking study visits in the energy sector, social welfare, and effective oversight, which are slated to be undertaken by relevant standing committees by mid 2025.
These visits will deepen and expand the perspectives of Namibian parliamentarians on the identified areas covered in the cooperation agreement.
The agreement signed between the two parliaments underscores the commitment to fostering political, economic, scientific, and cultural cooperation between Namibia and Russia.
The National Council intends to prioritise cooperation in areas such as the digitalisation of parliamentary activities, boosting tourism and trade, and expertise in health and social welfare.
Likando also expressed gratitude to the government and people of Russia for its continuous support, particularly in education, where young Namibians are afforded opportunities to study critical fields such as medicine and engineering at Russian institutions.
He also expressed sympathy for the recent terror attack in the Dagestan Region of Russia, which resulted in the tragic loss of 19 lives and injuries to 25 others.
“We share our sympathy with you and the entire Russian people and Government of the Russian Federation on the recent terror attack,” Likando said, conveying condolences on behalf of Namibia.
On her part, hon. Yelena Perminova, the Chairperson of the Committee on Social Policy and Head of the Friendship Group for Cooperation from the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, shared her vision for the future of the bilateral relationship between Russia and Namibia.
Hon. Perminova emphasised Russia’s commitment to implementing the provisions of the agreement recently signed between the two parliaments.
She highlighted the importance of enhancing cooperation in key areas such as education, health, and social welfare.
One of the notable points she mentioned was Russia’s intention to increase the number of Namibian students studying in Russian universities.
To support this, Russia plans to expand the scholarship quota for Namibian students, particularly in the field of medicine.
She also touched upon Russia’s potential involvement in the upcoming Presidential and National Assembly elections, expressing a willingness to participate as observers if invited.
This, she believed, would help maintain a high level of cooperation between the two nations. She further stressed the importance of the shared history between Namibia and Russia, which predates Namibia’s independence.
Furthermore, she discussed plans to gather historical material from the period when Russia supported Namibia, with the intention of bringing this valuable history back to Namibia.
This initiative aims to preserve and celebrate the historical ties between the two countries.