Story by Oleen Ndori, Foreign Editor
ZIMBABWE’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council has received a boost in the Caribbean as Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Professor Amon Murwira, engaged with senior officials in St Kitts and Nevis and Guyana to strengthen bilateral ties and garner support.
Representing President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Professor Murwira met Prime Minister Terrance Drew for high-level discussions focused on cooperation, mutual development, and collaboration between the African Union and CARICOM.
“We discussed a number of critical matters with respect to international affairs, and also how Zimbabwe and St Kitts and Nevis can work more closely together for our mutual benefit. We explored opportunities for mutual development and how the African Union and CARICOM can continue to collaborate more effectively for the benefit of all of us.
“I believe this forms a solid foundation on which we can build. Of course, the discussion also included Zimbabwe’s bid to become a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. I believe this is an important message, and we take it very seriously as we consider the role of this institution within the UN framework,” Dr Drew said.
“The Security Council is very important in advancing world peace and promoting the mutual development of our countries and our people. I want to conclude by saying that I thank the envoy, he has represented his President extremely well, well-prepared, and he delivered a message that was succinct and clear, leaving no room for misunderstanding. I want to assure His Excellency, the President, that his Special Envoy has fulfilled his mission exceptionally. We were delighted to receive him, and we will welcome him anytime. I also look forward to visiting the great country of Zimbabwe someday, hopefully sooner rather than later,” he added.
Professor Murwira also paid a courtesy call on Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Honourable Hugh Hilton Todd.
Minister Todd described the talks as productive and forward-looking, emphasising that the visit signals a mutual readiness to deepen diplomatic engagement at bilateral and multilateral levels.
Guyana formally committed to supporting Zimbabwe’s candidature, with Minister Todd affirming that Georgetown will work closely with Harare throughout its prospective tenure on the Council.
“Zimbabwe is a friend of Guyana. We have shared history, shared values. So today we have had several discussions beginning at a multilateral level where Guyana is going to support Zimbabwe’s bid for the 2027 non-permanent seat to the United Nations. We are very happy to give that support. We will work closely with the government and people of Zimbabwe as they go through their tenure.
“At the regional level, of course, there are initiatives that we are able to connect on, and on the bilateral level, we want to also work on re-engaging. So we have discussed several areas of cooperation where we have mutual interests, but importantly, also we want to ensure that we can bring our two peoples closer together to ensure that there is cultural exchange, to ensure that there is mobility, and to ensure that as developing countries we are able to participate very effectively in a very competitive global environment.”
Zimbabwe’s engagement in the Caribbean marks another step in its global diplomatic outreach, reflecting the country’s commitment to fostering international partnerships and promoting development on the world stage.
