The 11th meeting of the Russian-Namibian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation was held in Windhoek. The Russian delegation was led by Deputy Prime Minister and Plenipotentiary Presidential Envoy in the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev. The Namibian delegation was chaired by Minister of International Relations and Trade of the Republic of Namibia Selma Ashipala-Musavyi.
11th meeting of the Russian-Namibian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation
11th meeting of the Russian-Namibian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation
11th meeting of the Russian-Namibian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation
Yury Trutnev at the 11th meeting of the Russian-Namibian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation
11th meeting of the Russian-Namibian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation
Yury Trutnev and Minister of International Relations and Trade of the Republic of Namibia Selma Ashipala-Musavyi at the 11th meeting of the Russian-Namibian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation
Joint photo session at the 11th meeting of the Russian-Namibian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation
Meeting between Yury Trutnev and President of the Republic of Namibia Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah
Meeting between Yury Trutnev and President of the Republic of Namibia Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah
11th meeting of the Russian-Namibian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation
“Namibia is a reliable partner of Russia on the African continent. Our shared perspective on most international issues enables us to effectively coordinate foreign policy steps on the global stage. I would like to note that hundreds of Namibian public officials have received their education in Russia. This once again underscores the friendly nature of our bilateral relations. Russia supported the people of Namibia in their heroic struggle for independence and provided food aid during droughts and the coronavirus pandemic. We continue to foster dialogue in the spirit of cooperation and mutual assistance. The struggle for independence has not ended; it has shifted from the military to the political domain. We are confident that our relations will remain steadfast,” Yury Trutnev stated in his opening remarks.
“International security and peace are under serious threat. The traditional reinforcement of peaceful cooperation through diplomacy is fading. In Namibia, we believe that our shared responsibility as friends and as a global community is to create a safer world for both current and future generations. Today’s meeting is a step on this path. Our two nations continue to collaborate both bilaterally and multilaterally. We take great pride in this collaboration and in the fact that, at the multilateral level, we synchronise and harmonise our positions on many issues,” Selma Ashipala-Musavyi remarked.
The meeting was conducted in a constructive and business-like manner. The Russian and Namibian sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening constructive practical collaboration across various sectors and acknowledged the existing potential for the further development of trade, economic, investment, cultural, and other ties.
Participants reviewed the implementation of decisions recorded in the minutes of the 10th meeting of the Russian-Namibian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation and the progress of the roadmap for developing trade and economic collaboration between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Namibia for 2022–2025. They also analysed the current state and prospects of bilateral relations and adopted a series of decisions.
Trade and economic collaboration were among the topics discussed. By the end of 2024, trade turnover between Russia and Namibia had increased by 82.8 percent to $11.7 million. In 2025, the positive trend continued, with bilateral trade rising by a further 56.9 percent, reaching a total of $18.4 million.
“Clearly, these figures do not reflect the full potential of collaboration between our countries. We hope that the business forum held on the sidelines of the Russian-Namibian Intergovernmental Commission meeting will mark a new phase in our bilateral relations,” Yury Trutnev said.
The Russian side expressed interest in participating in the development of the Krylya (Wings) uranium deposit and in collaboration in nuclear energy, as well as readiness to collaborate in geology and subsurface use.
The sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation in the agricultural sector for ensuring food security and expanding trade operations. At a meeting in Moscow, the Namibian delegation suggested discussing prospects for importing Russian agricultural produce. The Russian side is expecting Namibian colleagues to specify a list of grain crops, due to be purchased in 2026 and subsequent years, their volumes and specifications. According to Yury Trutnev, Russia is ready to supply grain and a number of other agricultural crops.
The sides discussed the possibility of supplying Russian fertilisers to Namibia. The Namibian side said it was interested in attracting Russian investment and obtaining technical assistance for creating national fertiliser production capacities.
According to Ms Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, production of fertilisers in Namibia would reduce their cost and would boost productivity at major industrial farms and private farms turning out agricultural produce for attaining self-sufficiency. In the long-term, this will help reduce dependence on food imports and will allow Namibia to export foodstuffs and fertilisers, she noted.
The sides agreed to cooperate in drafting sanitary and phyto-sanitary standards for more effectively exporting high-quality agricultural produce from Namibia to Russia. They urged competent agencies in both countries to expedite the coordination of certification requirements for expanding trade opportunities.
They focused on expanding cooperation in the sphere of science and higher education. For example, the sides agreed to help expand ties between both countries’ academic organisations, including the development of academic mobility options, the implementation of educational programs, research and development projects, the organisation of specialised international exhibitions, conferences and seminars.
They dwelt separately on collaboration in the field of healthcare and measures to facilitate the sanitary-epidemiological well-being of the people. The meeting’s agenda included various aspects of cultural exchanges and military-technical cooperation.
The meeting participants summed up the results of the Russian-Namibian Business Forum, held during the 11th meeting of the Intergovernmental Russian-Namibian Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation. The event was organised at the proposal of the Namibian side and on instructions from Yury Trutnev.
According to Ms Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, the business forum brought together wide-ranging business circles that can provide a fresh momentum to our common desire to enhance bilateral cooperation and to attract investment, and this will elevate our collaboration to a new level.
“ We hope that the business forum, held on the sidelines of the Intergovernmental Russian-Namibian Commission’s meeting will become a new stage of bilateral relations, and that colleagues, who have arrived from Russia, and Namibian friends will find new opportunities for mutual cooperation, and we, in turn, have already promised to support them,” Yury Trutnev noted.
The Russian side invited the Namibian side to take part in the St Petersburg International Economic Forum this coming June and the Eastern Economic Forum in September. The Namibian side accepted the invitation and is expecting an official invitation via diplomatic channels,
“The development of trade and economic relations between our countries is an important factor for improving the life of our nations, strengthening peace and international stability,” Yury Trutnev noted, while summing up the meeting’s results.
That same day, Yury Trutnev and the President of the Republic of Namibia Madam Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah discussed the results of the 11th meeting of the Intergovernmental Russian-Namibian Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation and future prospects for developing bilateral relations.
“I had the honour of working with President of the Republic of Namibia, Madam Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, when she co-chaired the Intergovernmental Russian-Namibian Commission. I remember her determination and perseverance. I am confident that, as President of Namibia, she will develop these qualities still further, that they will benefit the people of Namibia and facilitate the development of our bilateral relations. Madam President set forth the following bilateral cooperation priorities, including the development of the energy sector, expanded employment and cooperation in the field of agriculture. Ms Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, the Commission’s Co-Chair, and we will make these wishes a reality,” Yury Trutnev said at the end of the meeting.
