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Herald Reporter

Canadian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mrs Christian Buchan, yesterday bade farewell to President Mnangagwa at State House where she reminisced about her tour of duty, which strengthened cooperation between the two countries.

Briefing journalists soon after meeting President Mnangagwa, Ambassador Buchan said she was excited by her tour of duty in Zimbabwe, which saw bilateral relations grow from strength to strength.

“It has been a pleasure to serve in Zimbabwe for the past three years. I came today to say farewell to His Excellency, President Mnangagwa and to discuss Canada and Zimbabwe bilateral relations in trade, support that Canada provides to the people of Zimbabwe in the area of education, and also looking forward, we discussed the upcoming elections.

“We wish Zimbabwe has transparent and peaceful elections this month,” she said.

“I appreciate the beauty of your country and I will take away the resilience of the people in my memory. It has been a pleasure to serve in Zimbabwe; I had the pleasure of working with Canadian companies working in the mining sector here, in ICT or in the renewable energy sector.

“I have met amazing students from Zimbabwe that are heading to Canada and that will further our people-to-people relationship.”

During her tour of duty, Ambassador Buchan held crucial talks with senior Government officials to discuss how to deepen bilateral relations between the two countries.

They include Speaker of the National Assembly, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, with whom she discussed issues around electoral reforms and democracy and how to strengthen Parliament in performing its oversight, legislative and representative role.

The two leaders compared notes on how democracy works in both countries as they are both parliamentary democracies.

Ambassador Buchan also held talks with Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Monica Mutsvangwa, to explore ways of cooperation in the media sector.

The two met at a time when the Second Republic is spearheading several media reforms including repealing media laws that had been deemed objectionable such as the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

The Government also opened up broadcasting airwaves by licensing six national television stations and several community and campus radio stations.

Canada has also supported Zimbabwe in its conservation of its natural resources after it donated two cheetahs for breeding purposes and to improve gene diversity.

Several students from Zimbabwe have been going to Canada for studies in various disciplines as the two countries cooperate in the area of education.