GABORONE, March 28 (Xinhua) -- The visiting chief of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) met with Botswana's President Mokgweetsi Masisi here on Thursday, talking about cooperation on economic reforms in the country.
A UNCTAD delegation led by its Secretary General Mukhisa Kituyi arrived in Gaborone on Wednesday and would stay until Saturday. They will talk with Botswana government about strategies to transform the country from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-based one, according to Unity Dow, Botswana's international affairs and cooperation minister.
When meeting with Masisi, Kituyi said the UNCTAD will engage with the government and share their insights on global developments and their linkages to Botswana's development agenda.
For his part, Masisi said he was happy to receive the UN team and expects the team to be open-minded about the next steps to be taken in the transformation agenda.
Botswana has the fourth highest gross national income at purchasing power parity in Africa, giving it a standard of living around that of Mexico and Turkey. However, its heavy dependence on mining and high rate of HIV/AIDS infection and unemployment are viewed as threats to its future success.
The UNCTAD was established by the United Nations in 1964 to deal with trade, investment and other development issues.
The overarching aim of the organization is to strengthen trade, investment and development opportunities in developing countries and assist them in their efforts to integrate in the world economy.
