Namibia determined to deepen ties with Russia – president

The African state’s president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, emphasized cooperation in energy, agriculture, defense, and education

Namibia is committed to expanding its relations with Russia in several spheres, the country’s president, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, said on Monday.

During a meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Trutnev, Nandi-Ndaitwah indicated that Namibia is determined to continue strengthening its partnership, “particularly in the areas of energy, agriculture, defense cooperation, education, and people-to-people relations.”

The meeting between the Russian official and Namibian president followed the 11th session of Namibia-Russia Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation. As part of the activities, a Russia-Namibia business forum took place on Friday, bringing together representatives from over 70 Namibian and more than 20 Russian companies, including Russian state nuclear corporation, Rosatom and fertilizer giant Uralchem. 

Speaking during the event, Trutnev also explored several initiatives to expand bilateral cooperation. He highlighted opportunities for trade and economic growth, emphasizing uranium development. 

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“I want to briefly mention areas that, in our view, could contribute to the expansion of our trade and economic ties. First and foremost, of course, is the Wings uranium deposit development project and, more generally, cooperation in the nuclear energy sector,” Trutnev said, as quoted by TASS.

The uranium project is a planned uranium exploration and mining initiative led by Headspring Investments, the Namibian affiliate of Russian‑owned Uranium One, which is itself part of Rosatom. If fully implemented, it is expected to increase trade between Russia and Namibia to $500 million annually and create over 600 jobs, according to Trutnev.

Meanwhile, bilateral trade between Russia and Namibia surged by 82.8% in 2024, reaching $11.7 million. The positive momentum carried into 2025, with trade expanding another 56.9% to total $18.4 million, according to data.

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The minister also addressed defense cooperation, saying that “the Russian side confirms its readiness to provide comprehensive cooperation in equipping the armed forces of the Republic of Namibia with modern weapons and military equipment.” He added that Russia is also prepared to continue servicing previously supplied Russian-made military equipment.