The French embassy in Botswana celebrated Bastille Day (National Day) on June 14th with an address by the Ambassador H.E Laurence Beau beamed through social media.
The Ambassador began by commending the Botswana authorities for their “exemplary management” of the Corona virus health crisis, noting that safety and hygiene measures were quickly implemented and complied with. She observed that likewise, France had taken similar decisions and postponed many international events that were scheduled for this year, such as Africa-France Summit, the IUCN World Conservation Congress and the Generation Equality Forum.
Ambassador Beau noted that this year’s celebration of the Bastille Day is an opportunity to pay tribute to workers in all essential services who have been and still are on the front line of the fight against COVID-19. “I would particularly like to thank all medical staff whose exceptional mobilisation allowed many lives to be saved: they embody the values of solidarity, fraternity and commitment that both our countries share and promote far beyond national borders”, she said.
She emphasized that the pandemic is still raging and has in the process highlighted the “interdependence of States and economies in a globalised world”. It was for this reason that she warned against temptation or the trap of withdrawing from the international community.
She said France and Botswana stand together in promoting a collective response within the framework of multilateral institutions, hence France has been supporting Botswana in its fight against the outbreak of the virus, on the bilateral level and through European Union channels (“Team Europe”), as well as on the international level in strengthening WHO, GAVI and the Global Fund, to develop innovative and ambitious initiatives.
“In this spirit of cooperation, we are pleased that the ACT-Accelerator initiative has raised 9.8 billion euros to guarantee universal and fair access to a vaccine against Covid-19” Ambassador Beau said. She ended this note with an assurance that Botswana can count on the commitment of France to support its objectives of strengthening its healthcare system as well as stimulating its economic recovery through greater diversification.