Mukudzei Chingwere Herald Reporter

THE government yesterday thanked diplomats accredited to Zimbabwe for facilitating engagement with their respective countries, allowing President Mnangagwa to continue his quest to be “a friend of all and an enemy of no one”.

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Dr Frederick Shava met with the envoys in Harare, where he expressed the gratitude of the government as well as the highlights of international commitments.

“It may be recalled that at our first meeting in April 2021, I stressed that the ministry’s strategies would include, but not be limited to, increasing Zimbabwe’s global visibility, building strong alliances at bilateral levels and multilateral, ”said Minister Shava.

“I wish to express my gratitude to the Excellencies who facilitated the above visits. Such commitments are undoubtedly a step towards realizing Zimbabwe’s quest to be a friend to all and an enemy to no one.

Minister Shava said the COP26 summit in Scotland gave President Mnangagwa the opportunity to meet bilateral political leaders and some business leaders.

“His Excellency the President had brief discussions with US President Joe Biden, Canadian Prime Minister, Mr. Justin Trudeau, President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and the Prime Minister of Palestine, Mohammad Shtayyeh, among other leaders.

He said that these side meetings revealed the willingness of the international community to cooperate with Zimbabwe in various fields.

“His Excellency the President underlined Zimbabwe’s willingness to cooperate with the international community to combat the impact of climate change.

“He also called on developed countries and major emitters to honor their commitments to finance climate action and reduce emissions,” said Minister Shava.

Minister Shava also said Zimbabwe had endorsed the Forests and Land Use Declaration, in which more than 128 members pledged to end or reduce deforestation by 2030.

The declaration is backed by US $ 19.2 billion in national and private funds to support efforts to protect forests.

“In addition, the Summit provided a platform for His Excellency the President to call for the lifting of the sanctions that have been imposed on Zimbabwe. These sanctions hamper our efforts to effectively fight the Covid-19 pandemic and mitigate the impact of climate change.

“In pursuit of Zimbabwe’s interest in joining the Commonwealth, His Excellency the President met Baroness Scotland, Secretary General of the Commonwealth to exchange views on the progress made to date.

Minister Shava said President Mnangagwa also met with UK Minister of State for Africa Ms Vicky Ford, President of the European Council Mr Charles Michel and discussed issues of bilateral interest.

He said the president had indicated some areas where Zimbabwe needed help, such as removing sanctions against Zimbabwe, supporting climate-proof agriculture, funding the census exercise for the 2023 elections.

Minister Shava met the European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Ms. Jutta Urpilainen, Secretary General of the Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, Dr. Georges Chikoti, Director General of the United Nations for food and agriculture, Dr Qu Dongyu.

He also participated in the third Italy-Africa Ministerial Conference in Rome where he had bilateral talks with his Italian counterpart, Luigi Di Miao.

“I also participated in the commemorative meeting for the 60th anniversary of the Non-Aligned Movement in Belgrade, Serbia.

“The meeting provided me with the opportunity to hold bilateral meetings with a number of other foreign ministers, including the host foreign minister, the Honorable Nikola Selakovic.