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Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter

Spain wants to strengthen economic ties with Zimbabwe for the mutual benefit of the two countries, Spanish Ambassador, Mr Santiago Gomez said yesterday after his courtesy call on Speaker of the National Assembly, Advocate Jacob Mudenda at Parliament.

“Spain is a country willing to improve its relations with Africa. We have a national strategy for Africa that was approved in 2019 and it’s not only about democracy and human rights, but about Spain assisting Africa in economic development.

“Although at the moment the strategy is focused on countries in which Spain has a strong presence in, that does not mean Zimbabwe cannot benefit,” he said

Ambassador Gomez said several Spanish companies were operating in South Africa and these could also set up shop in Zimbabwe. Some of these companies were into renewable energy and infrastructure development.

He hailed the growing people-to-people relations between the two countries through sport and university education and study of Spanish 

Ambassador Gomez said he had brought a message of friendship and welcome to the Speaker who will be leading a parliamentary delegation to the Inter Parliamentary Union Assembly that will be held in Madrid soon.

They discussed the possibility of Spain contributing to the development of democracy in Zimbabwe using its past experience.

Advocate Mudenda also thanked the Spanish ambassador for the role played by Catholic missionaries from that country in the country’s health and education sectors. 

“What I have emphasised to the ambassador is the role of the Spanish missionaries who have done excellent work in the Western part of our country through the Spanish Institute, a grouping of Spanish missionaries who came to this country in 1932 and opened up several schools both primary and secondary and several hospitals and clinics.

“They have played a big role in the promotion of our health and educations sectors before independence and they continue to assist us in those two areas,” Advocate Mudenda said.