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Longstanding fraternal relations continue to grow between Kenya and Zimbabwe, the first-ever Mid-Term Review (MTR) Meeting of the Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation (JPCC) between the two countries revealed.
This emerged at the Mid-Term Review of the 3rd Session of the Kenya-Zimbabwe Joint Permanent Commission for Cooperation that kicked off in Harare today and will end tomorrow.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador James Manzou, the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of the Republic of Zimbabwe said the ties go way back in time and they have been deepened by the regular exchange of visits at the highest level.
“I am pleased to recall that His Excellency President Dr. Emmerson D. Mnangagwa was in Nairobi in September 2022, to attend the inauguration ceremony of his counterpart, His Excellency Dr. William S. Ruto. Prior to that, President Mnangagwa undertook a very successful State Visit to Kenya in March 2022, which was held back-to-back with the 3rd Session of our JPCC. We look forward to a reciprocal visit, because, it is from such frequent interactions by our Principals that relations between our two countries can be further strengthened and deepened.
“It is important to highlight that Zimbabwe and Kenya have intertwined cultural affinities and strong people-to-people relations, that have played a role in moulding a solid social foundation for our bilateral ties to thrive on. We have vast numbers of citizens who are residents in each other’s countries as professionals, students, and business people. It is also worth noting that, following the Kenyan Government’s decision to grant citizenship status to the Shona Community, they have managed to cast their votes, for the first time, during the 2022 general elections. Furthermore, the free movement of persons between the two countries was enhanced when a landmark policy decision was made last year during the State Visit to Kenya by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, to expand the scope of the reciprocal visa-free regime between our two countries, to a renewable duration of 90 days,” Ambassador Manzou said.
In March 2022, the countries laid a solid foundation for the intensification of strategic partnership by resuscitating the Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation that had been lying dormant for a regrettable 25-year hiatus. During the 3rd Session of our JPCC, the two countries made a commitment to hold annual inter-sessional meetings, through which they will hold themselves to account and make sure that their focus stays strictly on target.
Ambassador George M. Orina, Director General responsible for Bilateral and Political Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign and Diaspora Affairs of the Republic of Kenya, and Co-Chair of the Mid-Term Review Meeting of the Third Session of the Zimbabwe/Kenya Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation said to date, Agreements and Memoranda of Understanding in various fields have been signed between our two countries.
“I am pleased that a number of them are operational. I am confident that this Mid-Term Review Session presented us with an opportunity to renew our resolute will to strengthen and broaden our bilateral relations. I note with appreciation the strides made in the discussions on the three clusters namely: Foreign Affairs and Security; Economic Affairs; and Social and Cultural Issues.