Story by Oleen Ndori, Foreign Desk Editor

IN a major diplomatic victory for Zimbabwe, the country has been nominated to host the 2025 Africa-Nordic Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting.

As the curtain came down on this year’s Nordic-Africa Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark this Friday, all member states comprising four Nordic countries -Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and 32 African member states who attended the indaba, endorsed Zimbabwe as the next host which is positive for the country’s engagement and re-engagement policy.

Incumbent Chair of the Nordic-Africa Foreign Ministers meeting, Denmark’s Foreign Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, congratulated Zimbabwe’s selection.

Zimbabwe’s Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Ambassador Frederick Shava, was elated by the decision of the group.

“We have just finished a very successful meeting between the Nordic countries and the African countries, ministers of foreign affairs and in the conclusion it has been decided that the next meeting will be held in Zimbabwe next year, so we are elated,” he said.

Zimbabwe won the bid to host the meeting ahead of Egypt and Uganda.

26 African and five Nordic countries participated at the 2024 edition of the ministerial meeting.

The Nordic-African Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (NAFM) was first held in Stockholm in 2001 and has since taken place 21 times and aims to strengthen cooperation between Nordic and African countries on foreign policy and global issues.