Wallace Ruzvidzo, [email protected]
Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea must translate their strong political relations into tangible benefits for their peoples, Equatorial Guinea President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has said.

He made the remarks yesterday after witnessing, together with President Mnangagwa, the signing of four Memoranda of Understanding arrived at by senior officials in May at the Zimbabwe-Equatorial Guinea Joint Commission on Cooperation (JCC).

The Equatorial Guinea leader, who returned home yesterday at the end of his two-day State visit, was seen off at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport by President Mnangagwa.

In his closing remarks, President Mbasogo said the State visit reflected the shared determination of Harare and Ciudad de la Paz to deepen bilateral cooperation and advance mutually beneficial development.

He also commended President Mnangagwa for his commitment to strengthening relations between the two countries.

President Mnangagwa said the partnership between Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea must now move decisively from dialogue to implementation, with emphasis on delivering concrete benefits to citizens.

He said this should be anchored on the timely and coordinated implementation of agreed programmes and projects.

“Inclusive development and equitable growth, that benefit our two economies and peoples should remain key objectives,” said President Mnangagwa.

“I commend the productive work undertaken by our ministers and officials across the various sectors.

“We have witnessed the signing of several instruments of cooperation.”

President Mnangagwa urged ministers and officials from both countries to ensure the expeditious operationalisation of all agreed programmes and the conclusion of outstanding agreements in areas identified for cooperation.

He also stressed the need to increase investments, business-to-business engagements and people-to-people exchanges to complement the excellent political relations enjoyed by the two nations.

“Air connectivity, inclusive of moving cargo, between our cities should be jointly pursued.

“Our cooperation in wildlife management has made commendable progress and such robust cooperation should be extended to other economic sectors.

“We have also registered success in our cooperation in the education sector.

“We, therefore, look forward to receiving more students from Equatorial Guinea in the immediate future,” said President Mnangagwa.

The President added that the frank, constructive and forward-looking engagements held during the State visit reaffirmed the enduring bonds of friendship between the two countries.

“Our discussions have been guided by shared history and collective commitment to building prosperous and self-reliant economies.

“This State Visit has provided us with an important opportunity to elevate our bilateral relations to a higher level.

“It has deepened and consolidated our ideals of Pan-Africanism, South-South cooperation and the aspiration for African unity, integration as well as shared prosperity,” he said.

President Mnangagwa also expressed gratitude to Equatorial Guinea for supporting Zimbabwe’s successful bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2027-2028 term.

“Zimbabwe stands ready to work closely with Equatorial Guinea and other like-minded partners in advancing a more equitable, inclusive and representative global governance architecture, one that reflects the realities and respects the aspirations of our beloved continent of Africa.

“I am confident that the goodwill that exists between our governments and peoples, will continue to provide the necessary foundation for cross-cutting partnerships and synergies for the prosperity of our two countries.

“Your Excellency, thank you for paying this State visit. I wish you good health and success in all your endeavours.

“I look forward to visiting you, in your beautiful country for a reciprocal visit as we continue to consolidate this enduring partnership,” he said.

As part of efforts to deepen bilateral cooperation, Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea signed four Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).

The agreements cover education, economic and trade cooperation, cooperation in the training of interpreters and translators, and the Rules of Procedure of the Joint Commission for Cooperation.

The MoU on education was signed by the Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Dr Frederick Shava, and Equatorial Guinea’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Simeón Oyono Esono Angüe.

The agreement on economic and trade cooperation was signed by Minister Angüe and Zimbabwe’s Minister of

Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Professor Amon Murwira.

The MoU on cooperation in the training of interpreters and translators, as well as the Rules of Procedure of the JCC, were also signed by the two countries’ foreign affairs ministers.

The signing of the agreements marked another significant step in the strengthening of bilateral relations between Harare and Ciudad de la Paz, with both countries committing to broaden cooperation across key sectors of their economies.