Zimbabwe will build up mutually beneficial cooperation with Belarus, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Zimbabwe to the Republic of Belarus Ignatius Graham Mudzimba said in an interview with BelTA on the eve of the 45th anniversary of the country's independence and the scheduled second meeting of the Belarus-Zimbabwe Joint Standing Committee on Cooperation, and the meeting of the working group on agriculture. The diplomat spoke about the interaction with Belarus, the upcoming important events in the Belarusian-Zimbabwean cooperation and about the upcoming visit of the President of Zimbabwe to Minsk.
Mr Ambassador, Belarus and Zimbabwe celebrate 33 years of diplomatic relations on 16 April. What is the history of friendship between our countries?
Our friendship dates back to the Soviet period when we were supplied Belarusian tractors. Therefore, we have had firsthand knowledge about the quality of Belarusian machinery for a long time.
Diplomatic relations between Zimbabwe and Belarus were established on 16 April 1992. In March 2023, the Government of Zimbabwe opened the Embassy in Minsk. The Mission however still awaits the official opening when His Excellency President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa pays his state visit to Belarus.
Zimbabwe has an embassy in Belarus. Thus, both diplomatic missions promote the development of bilateral cooperation.
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that Zimbabwe will celebrate the 45th anniversary of independence on 18 April. This is an important holiday for our country, which symbolizes a new stage in the development of an independent state.
How would you characterize the political contacts between Belarus and Zimbabwe at this stage of development of bilateral ties?
Zimbabwe and Belarus enjoy cordial relations. The interaction between the two countries reached strategic heights when they opened embassies in each other’s capital.
I believe that political relations between Belarus and Zimbabwe are at a high level.
President of Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa visited Belarus in January 2019.
From 30 January to 1 February 2023, President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko paid a state visit to Zimbabwe.
When can we expect a return visit of the President of Zimbabwe to Minsk?
Plans are at a very advanced stage for a high-level visit.
Our expectations from this visit are very high.
I would like to draw attention to the fact that exchanges at the highest level always give impetus to bilateral relations and help identify new vectors of mutually beneficial cooperation.
What is the situation in trade and economic co-operation between our countries? What Belarusian products and services are in-demand in Zimbabwe and vice versa?
We are working hard to ramp up trade and economic cooperation. I would like to note that bilateral trade is still small, but we are well placed to increase it.
Exports from Zimbabwe to Belarus have remained relatively low and inconsistent over the years. The consistent trade imbalance in favor of Belarus underscores the need for Zimbabwe to enhance the competitiveness and market penetration of its exports.
There is potential for Zimbabwe to export tobacco, cotton and minerals to Belarus, and for Belarus to supply Zimbabwe with machinery, equipment and potash fertilizers.
Zimbabwe and Belarus signed a $16 million agreement for the supply of firefighting equipment to the Department of Civil Protection in March 2022. A total of 114 firefighting equipment have been delivered to Zimbabwe to date and distributed across the ten provinces of the country.
I believe that political relations between Belarus and Zimbabwe are at a high level.
President of Zimbabwe Emmerson Mnangagwa visited Belarus in January 2019.
From 30 January to 1 February 2023, President of Belarus Aleksandr Lukashenko paid a state visit to Zimbabwe.
When can we expect a return visit of the President of Zimbabwe to Minsk?
Plans are at a very advanced stage for a high-level visit.
Our expectations from this visit are very high.
I would like to draw attention to the fact that exchanges at the highest level always give impetus to bilateral relations and help identify new vectors of mutually beneficial cooperation.
What is the situation in trade and economic co-operation between our countries? What Belarusian products and services are in-demand in Zimbabwe and vice versa?
We are working hard to ramp up trade and economic cooperation. I would like to note that bilateral trade is still small, but we are well placed to increase it.
Exports from Zimbabwe to Belarus have remained relatively low and inconsistent over the years. The consistent trade imbalance in favor of Belarus underscores the need for Zimbabwe to enhance the competitiveness and market penetration of its exports.
There is potential for Zimbabwe to export tobacco, cotton and minerals to Belarus, and for Belarus to supply Zimbabwe with machinery, equipment and potash fertilizers.
Zimbabwe and Belarus signed a $16 million agreement for the supply of firefighting equipment to the Department of Civil Protection in March 2022. A total of 114 firefighting equipment have been delivered to Zimbabwe to date and distributed across the ten provinces of the country.
Zimbabwe and Belarus are at a very advanced stage in the cooperation on the local production of buses with AVM Africa. Negotiations are at a very advanced stage to finalize the pricing structure and kick-off the production by end of 2025.
Belarus agreed to set up manufacturing of tractors in Zimbabwe.
Is Belarus taking part in your country’s farm mechanization program?
This process is underway. The First and Second Phase of the Mechanization Program had 1767 tractors and 76 combine harvesters delivered to Zimbabwe.
The Third Phase of the Mechanization Program is currently underway. It is expected to deliver 3161 tractors and 80 combine harvesters.
The second meeting of the Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation between Belarus and Zimbabwe will be held in Hahare in the near future. What issues are high on the agenda?
The first meeting of the Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation was held in February 2024 during the Belarusian minister of foreign affairs’ visit to Zimbabwe. The meeting yielded great results. It was attended by representatives of the ministries of industry, agriculture and food, healthcare, education, a number of state companies and concerns of Belarus. The talks were successful.
We hope the upcoming meeting will be as construction and fruitful as the previous one in Harare. Plans are in place to discuss a wide range of issues related to trade and economic cooperation.
The Mid Term Review will take stock of several instruments, agreements and proposals made by the two countries at the inaugural Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation.
We are expecting more than ten Memoranda of Understanding to be proposed for signing during the upcoming high-level visit.
Alina Grishkevich
Photos by the author
BelTA
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