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Writes Hopewell Chibvongodze
Harare, 25 March 2024 – Zimbabwe takes its consultations with Brazil very seriously and is working towards identifying new priority areas for cooperation in an open and cordial atmosphere, a government official has said.
Foreign Affairs and International Trade, acting secretary, Rofina Chikava said this during her opening remarks at the first session of political consultations between Zimbabwe and Brazil in Harare, on Monday.
Brazil was represented by the Secretary for Africa and the Middle East in the Ministry of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Carlos Duarte, and the Ambassador of Brazil to the Republic of Zimbabwe, Vilmar Rogeiro Coutinho Junior among other delegations.
“Zimbabwe takes these consultations very seriously, as they are an extremely valuable forum for mutual briefings, sharing perspectives, coming up with common positions on issues of mutual interest as well as identifying new priority areas for co-operation in an open and cordial atmosphere. The ultimate goal is to nurture, strengthen, broaden, and deepen the relationship between our two countries and peoples,” she said.
The two countries have a positive working relationship in the development of the agriculture sector where it provides an opportunity for skills and capacity building.
She said this first session comes at a place when progress has been registered in the implementation of some corporations in sectors such as agriculture.
She said agriculture benefitted as trade increased as well as key enablers of development and economic growth such as skills transfer and capacity building.
Chikava appreciated the support Brazil is giving to this country during this period where Zimbabwe is subject to sanctions saying these are illegal and unjustified sanctions as punishment for land reform program.
She said so far there are over 300 000 people who have benefitted from the program.
“In a mark of true friendship, your country generously extended to us the More Food International Programme line of credit in 2015. The programme went a long way in improving the livelihood of our small-scale farmers. Let me assure you that the government is committed to repaying the loan so that we can also benefit from the second trench,” she said.
“In conclusion, let me emphasise that these political consultations between Zimbabwe and Brazil represent a positive step towards strengthening relations between our two countries and promoting South-South cooperation. By engaging in dialogue, exchanging ideas, and collaborating on common challenges, Zimbabwe and Brazil can work together to achieve shared goals and contribute to a more peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable world.”