Zimbabwe and Belarus Strengthen Ties at Inaugural ...

Zimbabwe and Belarus Strengthen Ties at Inaugural Joint Commission Meeting

Zim Now Writer

Zimbabwe and Belarus have taken a significant step towards strengthening their bilateral relations with the launch of the first Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation meeting in Harare.

The meeting, co-chaired by Foreign Ministers Frederick Shava of Zimbabwe and Sergei Aleinik of Belarus, was marked by warm words and a renewed commitment to collaboration across various sectors.

Both ministers highlighted the excellent relations between the two countries, citing frequent high-level visits and numerous agreements signed in 2023, including those on agriculture, education, science and technology, investment promotion, and double taxation avoidance. Trade turnover also saw an impressive eight-fold increase in the same year.

Aleinik said the relations between Minsk and Harare are friendly, trustful, and productive because they are based on the clear political will to implement joint projects for the benefit of the countries and their people.

“The foundation of our cooperation is trusting relations between our two leaders and a mutually beneficial partnership based on honest and time-tested relations. My brother Frederick made a very comprehensive overview of the history of our bilateral relations and in recent years we have indeed witnessed a significant increase of the contacts between Belarus and Zimbabwe at different levels, including the highest one.

“I am gratified by the fact that all agreements and understandings reached during the historical state visit of His Excellency, President of the Republic of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko to Harare in January 2023 are being implemented. I am confident that the dialogue we are having today will contribute to the further implementation of all these agreements,” he said.

The meeting served as a platform to discuss progress on existing agreements and explore new avenues for cooperation. Specific attention was given to implementing commercial contracts signed during Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko’s state visit to Zimbabwe in January 2023, focusing on the supply of tractors, grain harvesting equipment, and timber industry machinery.

Furthermore, negotiations are underway on draft agreements related to visa exemptions, extradition, road transport cooperation, and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.

Meanwhile, the JPCC meeting was aimed at marking a positive development in the Zimbabwe-Belarus relationship, solidifying their commitment to mutually beneficial partnerships and paving the way for further collaboration in various fields.