Foreign ministers of Belarus, Zimbabwe meet in Minsk

INSK, 27 March (BelTA) – Belarusian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Aleinik and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Zimbabwe Frederick Shava are holding a meeting in Minsk, BelTA has learned.

The foreign minister of Zimbabwe is paying an official visit to Belarus on 26-30 March. Frederick Shava will get familiar with Belarus' industrial and agricultural potential, which, as the Belarusian minister of foreign affairs stressed, could be useful to Zimbabwe.

“Together we are capable of great things,” said Sergei Aleinik. “The development of economic cooperation is the most important area of our joint work,” he added.

After the talks the parties adopted a joint statement and signed a memorandum of understanding between the National Center for Marketing and Price Study and the National Trade Development and Promotion Organization of Zimbabwe.

Bilateral political cooperation between the two countries has been active in recent years. In 2022, Belarus and Zimbabwe traded more than $39 million, which is nearly 57% up in comparison with 2021. Belarusian exports amounted to almost $30 million. Belarus supplied tractors and tractor trucks, machines and mechanisms for harvesting and threshing crops, parts and accessories for cars and tractors to Zimbabwe.

Following the recent state visit of the Belarusian president to Zimbabwe, the government approved the roadmap for the implementation of the reached agreements. The document includes 65 events in various areas: political and diplomatic, trade and economic, agricultural, military and technical, healthcare and medical science, investments, energy, equipment supplies and maintenance. Belarus will also continue its participation in the program to modernize and mechanize agriculture in Zimbabwe.