Story by Oleen Ndori, Foreign Desk Editor
PORTUGAL is excited by the prospects of attending the 2025 Zimbabwe International Trade Fair set to begin later this month in Bulawayo.
Speaking with journalists after meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Professor Amon Murwira in Harare this Thursday, Portugal’s representative in Zimbabwe, Ambassador Rui Concalves Monteiro said the international trade expo will be able to kick-start economic engagements between the two countries.
“I am trying to have more contacts, including at the Chambers of Commerce level and it is also, as I told you, my intention is to go to Bulawayo by the end of this month to see how the ZITF works and to maintain some contact with businessmen and businesswomen along with maintaining contact with the Portuguese authorities and to make the bridge, taking into account that some Portuguese companies, namely in the field of construction, renewable energies and tourism, perhaps some are in Portugal, but also some are nearby in other countries in this region so they could come here. That is what we are talking about, opportunities, conditions, legislation, and the most important fields of cooperation,” Ambassador Monteiro said.
The Portuguese envoy also spoke on discussions in the education sector.
“We have a good relationship, but we think that we can do more, so we try to identify some sectors for our community because we have, as you know, we have a big Portuguese community. We have here a very nice country, a lot of opportunities, with very nice people and very skilled people including a lot of them who speak Portuguese. Not only in the schools, but also at university level,” Ambassador Rui Concalves Monteiro said.
Zimbabwe and Portugal established diplomatic relations in 1980 and since then, the two countries have maintained cordial ties.
