Belarus president arrives

Zim Now Writer

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has arrived in Zimbabwe for a three-day State visit.

He comes as the Belarus-Zimbabwe Business Forum opened in Harare, bringing together dozens of heads of ministries, departments and companies from both countries.

The event provides an opportunity to communicate, to show potential and tour local enterprises as well as conduct business negotiations and sign memorandums, agreements and contracts.

The Belarus delegation brought with it its national delicacies such as meat and dairy products such as ice cream, showing the Zimbabwean market a hint of what Belarus manufactures. The country has already had a taste of Belarusian tractors, combine harvesters or BelAZ trucks, but Belarusian food is yet to enter the Zimbabwean market.

The most promising avenues for bilateral cooperation are healthcare, food, light industry, mechanical engineering, metallurgy, fuel and energy, mining, chemical and woodworking industries, according to the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Vice President Constantino Chiwenga attended the forum and toured the Belarusian food exhibition with Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza where they tasted ice cream, which was very popular with high-ranking officials.

The ice-cream was made using of orange juice made from Zimbabwean fruits, making it a product of the cooperation between the two countries.

Chiwenga stressed that Zimbabwe is open for business. “Your visit to Zimbabwe is further proof that we are determined to firmly and further develop economic relations between the countries,” he said.

“The forum is an ideal platform to exchange views, knowledge and information on economic development. I hope it will help us exchange experience and knowledge that will further unlock the full potential that both parties have,” he said.

He said that there are plenty of opportunities in Zimbabwe to invest across different sectors of the economy such as agriculture, mining, tourism, energy, transport, education and many others. “I ask our partners from Belarus to consider opportunities to invest in our enterprises, because in this country our priority is to facilitate the conditions for doing business. This is part of our strategy for economic and political development through 2025, when we plan to take the country to a brand new qualitative level of development. Today, I was glad to learn that our Belarusian partners are ready to invest in the development of industrial cooperation with Zimbabwe.”

Chiwenga added that Zimbabwe is a member of the continental free trade zone, the market of which covers more than one billion people.

Belarus Deputy Prime Minister Piotr Parkhomchik noted that trade between Belarus and Zimbabwe has increased sevenfold since 2018 and reached US$39 million in January-November 2022.

“Belarus is fully involved in the modernisation of agriculture in Zimbabwe. More than 2 000 units of tractors, harvesters and other agricultural equipment have been supplied within three years. We receive words of gratitude from Zimbabwean farmers who are satisfied with the quality and functionality of Belarusian equipment. We have launched a number of investment projects in agriculture, mining, and industrial cooperation. This is just the start of a big journey,” he said.