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Minister Müller visits Namibia: “It is our task to further strengthen the process of reconciliation”
German Development Minister Gerd Müller started his visit to Namibia in the capital, Windhoek on August 29, 2019. His visit will focus on talks with the government and a meeting with representatives of the Herero and the Nama.
Development Minister Müller said, “Thirty years after becoming independent, Namibia is a stable democracy. And Namibia is a special partner for Germany. We have a historical responsibility for Germany's colonial past in Namibia, and we accept that this means a special obligation for us. It is our task not to forget the past but to study and address Germany's colonial history and to further strengthen the process of reconciliation. Dealing with the past in an open and honest way is the foundation for our common future.”
In addition to talks with the government, one key focus of the visit is a meeting with representatives of the Herero and the Nama. Minister Müller said, “We want to discuss new forms of cooperation.”
Development cooperation is an integral part and an independent element of the Namibian-German partnership. Namibia's economy has been in a protracted phase of recession since 2016. There is an urgent need to stimulate growth in the country. Namibia is also faced with extreme drought.
Commenting on this, Minister Müller said, “We will further expand our cooperation and introduce new priorities. In particular, Germany will support training, health and energy.”
During his visit, Minister Müller will therefore also meet with representatives of small enterprises and start-ups. In Windhoek, the German Development Ministry supports a start-up centre which provides demand-based financial and business services. Fostering innovation, entrepreneurship and local ownership and initiative is an important goal of the Marshall Plan with Africa launched by the Ministry for Economic Cooperation (BMZ). Minister Müller will also visit Katatura in order to gain a first-hand impression of poverty and need in that urban township.
He will then travel to the northern part of Namibia, where he will join the Minister of Environment and Tourism in opening a park station at Bwabwata National Park. At Walvis Bay, Minister Müller will tour the country's largest deepwater port.