This was
disclosed by Mr Pearson Chigiji, the chief director for Political Affairs in
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade at the opening of the
senior officials meeting of the Mid-Term Review of the Joint Permanent
Commission of Co-operation between Zimbabwe and Belarus in Harare on Monday.
The inaugural
JPCC between the two countries was held in Harare last year.
The three-day
meeting is being co-chaired by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister
Professor Amon Murwira and his Belarussian counterpart, Mr Maxim Ryzhenkov.
“The Government
of Zimbabwe is deeply appreciative of the decision by the Government of Belarus
to make Zimbabwe its industrial manufacturing hub for the region. This is
exemplified by the projected establishment of the bus assembly, tractor
assembly and the beneficiation of other minerals that include lithium, projects
which are set to begin operations by December this year,” Mr Chigiji said.
Belarus has
already supplied the country with trucks and tractors under mechanisation
programmes for mining and agriculture as well as fire-fighting equipment.
Both nations
were implored to take advantage of close ties between President Mnangagwa and
his Belarusian counterpart, President Alexandr Lukashenko to strengthen their
relations.
“We must seize
this rare opportunity to engage at a strategic level as it is through such
engagements that we may chart a path towards tangible and mutually beneficial
cooperation between our nations. It is imperative that we ensure that what we
agree upon today (Monday) is not only captured in written agreements, but most
importantly, that it is implemented on the ground. Failure to do so would
render our deliberations unproductive and void. The agenda before us serves as
a guide for our discussions.
“However, it
should not constrain us to these matters alone. Let us remain open to
discussing any other issues of mutual interest as our partnership continues to
evolve,” Mr Chigiji said.
Mr Chigiji also
commended their close collaboration in the international arena. Both of our
countries are staunch advocates in upholding the principles and purposes of the
United Nations Charter.
“We firmly
oppose the use of sanctions, threats, coercion and force as means of addressing
international issues. It is our strong belief that diplomatic dialogue, respect
for sovereignty and adherence to international law must guide the actions of
our nations.
“Despite facing
various sanctions and other restrictive measures imposed by the West, it is
gratifying to note that both our economies remain resilient and robust. We
continue to stand together in denouncing these illegal, unjustified and
unwarranted sanctions imposed on both Zimbabwe and Belarus by Western
countries,” he said.
In his remarks,
Belarus’ Head of Department of Africa and the Middle East in the country’s
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Yury Nikolaichik, hailed Zimbabwe’s development
trajectory.
“A lot has
happened over the past period. We gladly watched the successful holding of the
Sadc Summit in Harare, the election of the representative of Zimbabwe (former
Sport Minister Kirsty Coventry) as the head of the International Olympic
Committee, followed the news of a new record wheat crop – 550 000 tonnes.
“It is nice to
see how our friendly country is developing. Belarusian-Zimbabwean cooperation
continued at various levels: from the President’s office to ordinary citizens.
“The most
important result achieved was the beginning of the supply of equipment within
the framework of the third phase of the joint Agricultural Mechanization
Facility Programme 2. In accordance with the needs of the Zimbabwean side,
significant attention in this phase will be paid to the issues of harvesting
and storage of crops,” he said.
Mr Nikolaichik
said it was symbolic that the MRT was taking place on the eve of Zimbabwe’s
45th Independence anniversary and the 80th anniversary of the victory over
fascism in World War II.
“Our peoples
know firsthand what the struggle for national liberation is and at what cost
the country’s sustainable development is given,” he said. Herald
0 comments:
Post a Comment