Story by Abigirl Tembo
MILITARY relations between Zimbabwe and India continue to deepen, with the launch of the maiden Zimbabwe-India Mini Defence Expo marking a major milestone in the consolidation of the two nations’ defence cooperation.
Zimbabwe’s Minister of Defence Honourable Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri, welcomed the Indian delegation, highlighting the historic ties between India and Zimbabwe dating back to the precolonial era.
She emphasised Zimbabwe’s commitment to upgrading and modernising its Defence Forces capabilities, and expressed eagerness to explore new ideas, technologies and equipment from India.
“In its quest to guarantee the nation of sustained peace and stability, the Zimbabwe Defence Forces requires continued collaboration with friendly Forces and partners in the global community. It is in this context that we are particularly excited to host the Indian delegation,” Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said.
“India’s defence industry is renowned for its innovation, self-reliance and commitment to excellence. The showcasing of your military hardware during the Expo therefore, is a testament to your commitment to peace and security, not just within the India subcontinent but globally. This Expo provides Zimbabwe with an opportunity to learn from India’s experiences as well as explore potential co-operation for the mutual benefit of both countries.
“Zimbabwe has always valued the robust relationships it shares with India. Our ties have spanned many years, marked by cooperation in various sectors including defence, agriculture, health, education, and trade among others. Today we take another step forward in enhancing our military capabilities by learning from India’s advancement in military technology, strategic insights, and innovation,” she said.
India’s top envoy to Zimbabwe, Ambassador Bramha Kumar highlighted the growing bilateral trade and investment between India and Zimbabwe, which has been aided by the country’s investor-friendly policies.
“It is not surprising that in such an encouraging environment investment from Indian private sector has been on the rise and today it is estimated around US$600 million,” he said.
“The number of Indian companies operating in Zimbabwe is also rising. Therefore, we need to utilise such a momentum to further enhance bilateral trade and investment between our two countries. I would like to mention here that with Embassy’s effort, we may get a 10-15-member business delegation participating in the forthcoming ZITF in Bulawayo.”
The Expo provides a platform for Indian defence companies to showcase their cost-effective and competitive products while also exploring opportunities for cooperation with Zimbabwean defence industries.
The event is expected to deepen bilateral defence relations, with India and Zimbabwe having signed an agreement on defence cooperation in February this year.
