Story by Josephine Mugiyo in St Petersburg
PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa has met his Russian counterpart, President Vladimir Putin at the Konstantinovsky Palace this Thursday, with discussions focusing on possible areas of cooperation in agriculture and mining.
Zimbabwe’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ambassador Frederick Shava disclosed that the meeting between the two heads of state was an opportunity to discuss challenges affecting the two countries as well as possible areas of cooperation.
“It was very important for the two heads of state to meet and for His Excellency, President Mnangagwa to express his gratitude for being invited, and during that meeting, they discussed a number of issues. One of the issues was the strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries. As you know, the Russian Federation has been supporting us, particularly with the background of sanctions. The two leaders discussed improving trade relations between the two countries,” he said.
Focusing on the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Ambassador Shava said it is a key platform to pitch Brand Zimbabwe to the world.
He said, “This is an extremely important forum, it is a platform where we just don’t interact with the Russian Federation alone but is an opportunity to sell Brand Zimbabwe.”
Besides attending the St Petersburg Economic Forum, President Mnangagwa is also expected to meet with a number of business delegations.
