Story by Oleen Ndori, Foreign Editor
ZIMBABWE has intensified its diplomatic and economic engagement drive, with Italy, Egypt and Japan reaffirming commitment to deepen cooperation in key development sectors during high-level meetings in Harare this Thursday.
The engagements, held between Vice President Colonel (Rtd) Dr Kembo Mohadi and envoys accredited to Zimbabwe at his Munhumutapa offices, form part of the country’s ongoing engagement and re-engagement foreign policy thrust under the Second Republic, aimed at boosting investment, trade and development cooperation.
Three ambassadors separately held discussions with the Vice President, focusing on strengthening bilateral relations and expanding cooperation in strategic economic sectors.
First to meet the Vice President was Italian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, H.E. Giuseppe Giacalone, who said talks centred on strengthening long-standing relations between Harare and Rome, with emphasis on trade, infrastructure development, education and cultural cooperation.
“The meeting with Vice President Mohadi was productive. We discussed the long-standing friendship between Italy and Zimbabwe, with strong cooperation in trade and culture. We are expanding trade relations and supporting education through scholarships, having already funded six and an additional 34 last year. We also have cultural cooperation with the National Gallery, including plans for an exhibition of Italian Renaissance masterpieces during the CIMAM event in November, as well as support for refurbishing the gallery and restoring artworks,” the Italian Ambassador said.
Next to meet with the Vice President was the Egyptian top envoy to Zimbabwe, H.E Maha Serag Eldin Kame and she says their discussions looked at the historical relations between the two countries, as well as the upcoming African Union mid-year summit to be hosted by Egypt.
“We enjoy excellent bilateral, brotherly relations between the two countries, and today was an opportunity to engage on cooperation in sectors such as health, construction, political and economic development. Egypt will be hosting the African Union Mid-Year Summit in the coastal city of Alamein in June, alongside the Alamein Africa Forum, a business forum being held for the first time. This was also an opportunity to brief the Vice President on these flagship events, which will bring together African countries and the private sector across the continent,” said the Egyptian envoy.
With Japan supporting Zimbabwe’s various social services clusters, the Japanese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, H.E. Maekawa Nobutaka, says his meeting with Vice President Mohadi touched on how these engagements can be deepened and broadened.
“Our discussion focused on the accumulation of our very deep and constant cooperation over the past years and the possibilities of further cooperation in diverse sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, tourism and mining. The most important thing is that we agree on the promotion of business-driven cooperation in major sectors. Japan would also like to further strengthen this cooperation in a tangible and co-creative manner, in optimal combination with the conventional development assistance which the Japanese government has so far provided,” he said.
As the country’s foreign direct investment continues to grow on an annual basis because of successful economic engagements between and amongst different countries across the globe, it is engagements such as these that continue to drive and reflect the successful implementation of the economic diplomacy thrust within the National Development Strategy Two (NDS2).
