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Business Reporter 

ZIMBABWE will be participating at this year’s edition of Russia International Industrial Trade Fair (INNOPROM) which begins today in Ekaterinburg.

Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Sekai Nzenza is leading the business delegation. The trade fair, being held under the theme “Flexible Manufacturing” ends of Thursday.

The delegation includes officials from the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI), Zimbabwe Investment Development Agency (ZIDA), Zimtrade, the CEO Roundtable, the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) and the Industrial Development Corporation of Zimbabwe (IDCZ), Dr Nzenza said last Friday.

The minister was due to leave on Saturday while most of the delegates left on Friday.

INNOPROM is the main industrial, trade and export platform in Russia.

“The main focus is pushing the Zimbabwe is open for business agenda we are quite encouraged to participate at the fair,” said Dr Nzenza, who will be the guest of honour.

About 90 countries will be participating, according to INNOPROM official website.

“We will attend roundtable meetings and this will give us opportunity to meet investors,” said Dr Nzenza. About 76 percent of exhibitors are top-managers of Russian and foreign companies, heads of regions and representatives of Federal authorities.

President Mnangagwa’s administration adopted Zimbabwe is open for business policy meant to woo investors to help revive the economy.

In 2019, President Mnangagwa met his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin where the two leaders agreed to deepen economic cooperation between the two countries. Russia is one of the major sources of the country’s foreign direct investment particularly in the mining sector.

In her acceptance letter for being invited as guest of honour, Dr Nzenza said “I look forward for further engaging with you in your quest to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Russia and Zimbabwe in the fields of investments, trade and technology transfer.”