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Elita Chikwati  Senior Reporter 

The United States now wants to strengthen relations and promote investment by US companies in Zimbabwe, US chargé d’affaires Thomas Hastings said yesterday when he met Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa at Munhumutapa Offices in Harare. 

The meeting comes after President Mnangagwa recently met American President Joe Biden during the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow and noted later that he had received a positive response from the US President than the US Embassy in Harare. 

President Biden promised to follow up on the engagement.

After paying a courtesy call on Minister Mutsvangwa, Mr Hastings said he had the opportunity to talk about several issues. 

“The US Embassy wishes to promote increased participation and partnerships between Zimbabwean and American universities. 

“The US Government already has several areas of interest with the Government of Zimbabwe. The area of our partnership is with health and a strong partnership with the Ministry of Health and Child Care especially promoting the fight against HIV and Aids and other diseases. 

“We also wish to see stronger economic ties between the US and Zimbabwe and we hope to promote business between US companies that wish to work and invest here. We seek to make that possible,” he said. 

Minister Mutsvangwa said they had discussed a number of issues including developmental matters. 

“We discussed a lot of issues especially developmental issues including the reforms that have happened in the media sector and the kind of co-operation we would like to have between Zimbabwe and the US, especially in the media sector. 

“We also talked about the relationship between Zimbabwe and the US. What is important is that the ministry will be working together with them to ensure we continue to put that positive message where the two people of Republic of Zimbabwe and the US can actually work to understand each other, and work together for our countries,” she said.