Botswana’s Minister of International Relations, Dr. Phenyo Butale, held bilateral meetings with counterparts from South Africa and Bangladesh on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on April 18, 2026.
Dr. Butale met with South Africa’s Assistant Minister of International Relations, Alvin Botes, and Bangladesh’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Khalilur Rahman. Both meetings were aimed at strengthening diplomatic ties and building partnerships that serve the shared interests of the countries involved.
During the engagements, Dr. Butale spoke about Botswana’s commitment to working with partner countries for mutual benefit, stressing the need to build strategic partnerships that open up opportunities for sustainable growth and development while deepening diplomatic relations. 
On the sidelines of the same forum, the minister also sat down with international media outlets TRT World and TRT Africa, where he spoke about Botswana’s push to move its economy away from a largely mono-sectoral model toward industrialisation. He said the shift is aimed at promoting shared prosperity, in line with the vision of President Dr. Duma Gideon Boko for Botswana and the wider region.
