Story by John Nhandara
ZIMBABWE and Equatorial Guinea have strengthened bilateral relations after signing several cooperation agreements during the Zimbabwe-Equatorial Guinea Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation (JPCC) Ministerial Session held in Harare this Saturday.
The agreements are expected to deepen collaboration between the two countries across key economic sectors, including mining, agriculture, education, trade and manufacturing, as both nations intensify efforts to translate strong political ties into tangible economic outcomes.
Addressing the ministerial session, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Professor Amon Murwira, said the two countries must now focus on unlocking the full economic potential of their longstanding diplomatic relations.
“The level of our bilateral trade is not commensurate with our excellent political relations. Our task is to increase economic cooperation by unlocking great potential for trade, tourism, mining and manufacturing, among others,” he said.
“As governments, we must prioritise the immediate removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers. Let us make use of the opportunities created by the African Continental Free Trade Area. In addition, we must urge our private sector players to capitalise on the bountiful investment opportunities that abound in our two nations across all sectors. The special and enduring friendship between our two Republics has come a long way, characterised by collaborative approaches and consultations.”
According to Equatorial Guinea’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Diaspora, Mr Simeon Oyono Sono Angue, the JPCC ensures that diplomatic cooperation between the two countries translate into concrete economic outcomes.
“Through cooperation, we can bring about concrete results that will strengthen our relations. This is the fundamental reason why the commission is an essential mechanism to follow up on agreements so that we accelerate new agreements in different sectors. All cooperation agreements must translate into concrete action that impacts positively on the lives of our people.”
In February 2023, during a state visit to Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa and his counterpart Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, agreed to establish a JPCC to deepen and expand the existing bilateral relations between the two countries.
