High Commissioner of the Kingdom of Lesotho, Dr. Mathabo Tsepa, has expressed an interest in drawing on Barbados??? expertise to develop her country???s tourism industry.
She made this observation recently during a courtesy call on Prime Minister Freundel Stuart at Government Headquarters.
High Commissioner Tsepa said her Government was working to improve the tourism sector, so that it could become the main source of the country???s economic activity. She said Lesotho was a tiny country with limited arable land and the country???s exports in agriculture had been hampered as a result of climate change.
Dr. Tespa pointed out however, that there were no plans to abandon agriculture and explained that the current cultivation techniques would be modernised.
???[Given] the successful work in tourism that Barbados has demonstrated, the Government of Lesotho would like to draw on Barbados??? expertise and human exchanges and experiences to learn from you and your government how you have attained this success,??? she said.
Dr. Tsepa also spoke of a revival of the Scientific and Cultural Cooperation Agreement that was signed between Barbados and Lesotho in 1984, and its benefits to both countries.
In turn, Prime Minister Stuart said Barbados had enjoyed a long diplomatic relationship with Lesotho. He noted that perhaps it was necessary to revisit the 29-year-old Cultural and Scientific Cooperation Agreement to make it more relevant to what the realities are today.
Highlighting the importance of tourism to Barbados, the Prime Minister said that challenges would be experienced at any juncture but they were still many opportunities to be exploited in the sector, and asserted that Barbados stood ready to share its ???know how??? with Lesotho.
The two officials also discussed youth entrepreneurship, HIV and AIDS and stigma and discrimination.??Barbados and Lesotho established diplomatic ties on November 15, 1979.
julie.carrington@barbados.gov.bb