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VP Mnangagwa

From Kuda Bwititi in Minsk, Belarus—
Vice President Emmerson Mnangangwa yesterday met Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and later signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov, marking a milestone in strengthening ties between Harare and Minsk. During the meeting at his Palace of Independence here, VP Mnangagwa told the Belarusian leader that he had come to visit on behalf of President Mugabe, who is keen to enhance cooperation between the two countries.

Briefing journalists soon after the meeting, VP Mnangagwa said President Lukashenko had expressed willingness to augment bilateral ties between the two countries, as Harare and Minsk are united in their goal of busting Western imposed sanctions.

Said VP Mnangagwa: “He (President Lukashenko) was happy that President Mugabe sent this delegation that I am leading and that he is fully aware about the political and economic challenges Zimbabwe is facing, especially from the EU, the British and the Americans.

“He is fully aware about the sanctions we have been going through and he says that also, Belarus is under sanctions but the people of Belarus will not yield to pressures from outside. They will determine their destination themselves and as a result of their stance, they have had no diplomatic relation with the United States of America for some time now.”

Vice President Mnangagwa said President Lukashenko also expressed his intention to visit Zimbabwe soon and urged his officials to operationalise agreements signed between the two countries, before he visits Harare.

“They are eager to establish and develop relations with Africa and his view is that Zimbabwe is the most appropriate African country from which Belarus should have influence in Africa and in the region. In the course of our discussions, he also said that he gave instructions to his people, ‘let us develop our relations with Zimbabwe so that we can service the rest of Africa in particular the southern region in terms of equipment, in agriculture and in mining but centred as a hub in Zimbabwe’”.

VP Mnangagwa then visited Prime Minister Kobyakov and the two jointly appended their signatures to the MoU for the supply of equipment worth $150 million by Belarus firms to Zimbabwe for mining, road and dam construction, and agriculture.

Under the MoU, the Development Bank of Belarus, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and the PTA bank will coordinate the financing of the initiative.

After signing the MoU, premier Kobyakov said the current level of cooperation between Zimbabwe and Belarus was “quite moderate” hence the need to immediately implement the MoU and work on other areas of cooperation.

He also toured tractor manufacturing company, Minsk Tractor Works and other manufacturing companies.

Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Dr Joseph Made, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Dr John Mangudya and senior government officials are accompanying Vice President Mnangagwa on the visit.