Namibia, Germany sign shipping agreement

New Era, 2 February 2017

Logistsics Hub

Windhoek-Following two days of negotiations, Germany and Namibia signed a bilateral merchant shipping agreement aimed at transforming Namibia into a logistics hub for the southern African region.

The agreement was signed by German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure Director General Reinhard Klingen, and Ministry of Works and Transport Permanent Secretary Willem Goeiemann in Windhoek on Tuesday.

This agreement is bound to further strengthen and develop economic relations between the two countries and also promote Namibia’s transformation into a logistics hub for the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The German negotiating team consisted of Klingen, German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure Head of Department for International Maritime Policy, Peter Escherich, and Jürgen Göpel of the Department for International and National Affairs of Seafarers.

While the Namibian negotiating consisted of Goeiemann, Director of the Namibian Maritime and Fisheries Institute (NAMFI) Cornelius Bundje, Acting Director of Maritime Affairs, Captain Lucas Kufuna, Port Captain – Port of Walvis Bay, Pinehas Auene as well as representatives of Namibian Ports Authority (NamPort) and other senior officials from MWT, NAMFI, and the Office of the Attorney General.

Today the delegation is to visit NamPort and NAMFI in Walvis Bay in order to explore areas of cooperation.

Germany ranks first in the World Bank’s global Logistics Performance Index 2016.

For more news on the issue also click on Namibia Economist: "In a statement announcing the agreement, the two teams stated 'Shipping is the most cost-effective way to transport the vast majority of goods in international trade and will be central for global sustainable development and growth. Germany ranks first in the World Bank’s global Logistics Performance Index 2016. Short turn-around times, the interlinking of different modes of transport and advanced logistics strategies help make this possible. Under the agreement and the envisaged cooperation projects, German companies can provide this know-how to make a major contribution to more trade and growth in and with Africa.'”

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