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GERMANY is committed to shaping new partnerships with Zimbabwe to deepen mutual cooperation through building bridges and strengthening existing ones, Ambassador Christoph Retzlaff has said.

Amb Retzlaff made the remarks yesterday in Harare at the occasion of the 36th Day of German Unity, marked by the re-unification of Germany on October 3, 1990, following the collapse of the Berlin Wall, which divided the Soviet aligned East Germany and West Germany.

He said the re-unification of Germany gives strong reasons to value dialogue and cooperation.

“We want to deepen cooperation pragmatically on the basis of shared interests. We are also strengthening our partnership with Zimbabwe. Since last year . . . we engaged, tried to build new bridges and to strengthen existing ones between Germany and Zimbabwe,” Amb Retzlaff said. For the first time in many years, Germany’s Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs, Johann Wadephul, earlier this year met Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira in New York, a gesture of rapprochement by the two countries.

This year three Zimbabwean ministers also visited Germany, including Tourism and Hospitality Minister Barbara Rwodzi in March to attend the International Tourism Exchange Berlin (ITB) travel trade show.

Amb Retzlaff said 36 years after German re-unification there was need for optimism and making the right decisions since the world now looks much different and more fractured, characterised by frequent wars, attacks on international law, the climate crisis, the repercussions of artificial intelligence and new pandemics.

“I am convinced that we will see many new opportunities in the future. Let us be optimistic. But we have to take the right decisions. And we need global answers to global challenges. We need to build bridges between people,” Amb Retzlaff added.

Prof Murwira, who was represented by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Deputy Minister Sheilla Chikomo, called on both countries to identify and pursue further opportunities for meaningful collaboration in areas of mutual interest.

He also expressed Zimbabwe’s appreciation for Germany’s willingness to engage in a constructive and principled manner. “We wish to express our appreciation for Germany’s willingness to engage with Zimbabwe in a constructive and principled manner, and we are committed to building strong and enduring partnerships with Germany, as with all other members of the international community.

“In this regard, we wish to deepen our partnership with Germany, both bilaterally and also at international fora, on matters of common interest and concern, such as climate change, food security, global health, and peace and security,” Prof Murwira said.

The event was attended by senior Government officials, heads of Diplomatic Missions and the German community in Zimbabwe.