Story by Abigirl Tembo
THE Defence Minister, Honourable Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri has met with two prominent diplomatic envoys from Palestine and South Korea, with both engagements focusing on deepening ties with the two nations.
Palestine’s top envoy to Zimbabwe, Ambassador Tamer Almassri met with Honourable Muchinguri-Kashiri to discuss the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and reaffirm bilateral solidarity between Zimbabwe and Palestine.
“We discussed our shared history and the struggle against imperialism. Palestine and Zimbabwe understand the pain of sanctions and occupation. We spoke about the illegal sanctions against Zimbabwe and we agreed that the sanctions are one kind of collective punishment that should be removed today. We deeply appreciate the consistent support of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and the Zimbabwean people. The voice of Zimbabwe, particularly at the recent SADC summit in Harare, was clear in calling for an end to the Israeli genocide and in upholding Palestinian rights under international law,” Ambassador Almassri said.
Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri condemned the ongoing violence in Gaza, reaffirming Zimbabwe’s unwavering support to Palestine.
“Zimbabwe is deeply concerned about the ongoing loss of life, destruction of property, and the violation of human rights in Gaza, particularly the impact on children. We reaffirm our commitment to supporting Palestine’s quest for self-determination, both bilaterally and through regional platforms like SADC.”
South Korean Ambassador Jaekyung Park also held talks with Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri.
His visit focused on broadening areas of cooperation beyond defence, including economic development, cultural exchange, and high-level parliamentary engagement.
“We discussed not just defense issues, but also diverse areas of issues of cooperation, including economy and even cultural cooperation. We achieved a lot just through this hour-long discussion, and we will definitely follow up on our discussion,” Ambassador Park noted.
Honourable Muchinguri-Kashiri announced plans for the country to leverage on advanced technology from South Korea to improve landmine detection and removal.
“We are keen to benefit from South Korea’s advanced technologies, such as their use of drones in landmine detection. We are still using rudimentary technology and learning from South Korea’s expertise could significantly improve the work of the Zimbabwe mine action goup.”
She also expressed interest in enhancing cybersecurity collaboration and educational opportunities through South Korean scholarship programmes.
The meetings highlight Zimbabwe’s dedication to deepening its diplomatic relationships with both Palestine and South Korea, while actively seeking avenues for cooperation across political, economic, humanitarian, and technological spheres to promote mutual benefit and shared development goals.
