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Farirai Machivenyika–Senior Reporter 

 Outgoing Cuban Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Carmelina Ramirez Rodriguez, has said the two countries should extend their excellent political relations to the economic sphere. 

Ambassador Rodriguez has been in the country for the past four years and yesterday met Speaker of the National Assembly Advocate Jacob Mudenda at Parliament Building to bid him farewell. 

Speaking after the meeting, she thanked Zimbabweans for their hospitality during her tour of duty. 

“As you know Cuba and Zimbabwe have strategic and historical cooperation dating to the time of independence in different areas be education, health and sport and now we hope to extend to the area of commerce, it is one of the areas we want to promote. 

“There is now an opportunity to go through Namibia to open more possibilities for commercial exchanges. There are quite a number of things that Zimbabwe produces that are interesting to Cuba and even Latin America,” Ambassador Rodriguez said. 

She added there were plans between Zimbabwe and Cuba to establish a joint venture in the production of pharmaceuticals. 

Cuba has developed its own Covid-19 vaccine and Ambassador Rodriguez said they were willing to assist Zimbabwe with technological knowhow to produce its own. 

Zimbabwe and Cuba share longstanding relations dating back to the time of the country’s liberation struggle. 

Following Zimbabwe’s attainment of independence, Cuba assisted Zimbabwe in the areas of health and education through the provision of doctors and teacher training in the areas of science and mathematics. 

The establishment of the Bindura University of Science Education was also done with the assistance of the Cubans.