FIRST Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, is in Russia to attend the Third Eurasian Women’s Forum, and had a heart-to-heart discussion with the Speaker of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Madam Valentina Matviyenko where they discussed issues of mutual interest, her philanthropic work, students scholarships, Covid-19 and investment in Zimbabwe among other issues.
The meeting which took place on the sidelines of the forum,
was held in a warm, relaxed and friendly environment with the Federation Council
Speaker showing a keen interest in exploring partnerships with the First Lady’s
Angel of Hope Foundation.
Amai Mnangagwa was
invited to the Third Eurasian Women’s Forum in recognition of her philanthropic
work a sign that her hard work has reached far and wide thus getting
International acclaim.
The Third Eurasian Women’s forum an international women’s
platform aimed at promoting the women’s agenda in line with sustainable
development, was officially opened by the Russian President Vladimir Putin
yesterday.
In the meeting, the Federation Council Speaker and the
First Lady happily shook hands, embraced and had photographs taken together.
Madam Matviyenko actually hugged the First Lady and
jokingly remarked: “I know we are all Covid-19 free” before they had a woman to
woman talk.
Delegates attending the forum are being tested for Covid-19
daily.
The Federation Council Speaker readily accepted an
invitation that was extended to her by the First Lady to visit Zimbabwe and
have a first hand account of the Zimbabwean experience.
“I would love to visit Zimbabwe and all arrangements would
be made through the correct diplomatic protocols. We look forward to further
cooperation and continued partnership between Zimbabwe and Russia. We are
exploring other areas of assistance,” she said.
The speaker said more Russian companies were keen to invest
in Zimbabwe and this dovetails with President Mnangagwa’s “Zimbabwe is open for
business” mantra.
Also on discussion was the issue of Zimbabwean students on
scholarships to Russia to be increased from 65 to 80 per year.
So far, nearly 300 Zimbabwean students are studying on
scholarships in Russia.
In her heart-warming remarks, Madam Matviyenko described
Zimbabwe as a reliable partner of Russia on the African continent.
“2021 marks 40 years since the establishment of diplomatic
relations between the two countries. In recent years our interaction has been
progressing and we are interested in developing the entire range of bilateral
relations. We attach great importance to the inter-parliamentary cooperation
and look forward to its further development,” she said.
Through her foundation, the First Lady told the speaker,
she was encouraging women who failed to complete their education for various
reasons to go back to school saying that was another tool which was important
in empowering women.
Amai Mnangagwa also told her that apart from the Covid-19
issues which Russia assisted Zimbabwe, she was also raising awareness in
communities countrywide on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) urging people to
undergo regular medical check-ups to allow early diagnosis and treatment of
these ailments to curb avoidable deaths.
“I would like to thank the Russian Government for standing
with Zimbabwe in this Covid-19 era where Zimbabwe received the first vaccine
from Russia in away to protect Zimbabwean citizens. This shows Russia’s
humanity and willingness to assist others who are in need,” she said. The
Federation Council Speaker added that Russia had filed a request for the
production of Covid-19 vaccines in Zimbabwe as a major show of cooperation
between the two countries. Herald
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