Chronicle Editor
Peter Matika, [email protected]
SPEAKER of Parliament, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, is in Indonesia attending the Indonesia-Africa Parliamentary Summit, where he is expected to deliver a keynote address on how to enhance cooperation between the Southeast Asian country and Africa within the context of the continent’s Agenda 2063.
The summit kicked off in Indonesia’s capital of Bali on Saturday and is expected to end today.
Adv Mudenda is accompanied by the chairperson of the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Portfolio Committee, Cde Webster Shamu, and National Assembly members Sithabisiwe Moyo and Brian Mudumi.
The country’s delegation was received at the airport by the Zimbabwean Ambassador designate to Indonesia, Mr Martin Makururu, and Counsellor Mrs Viola Madongorere.
The two-day forum is a follow up to the first Indonesia-Africa Parliamentary Forum convened in 2018, which sought to explore and enhance strategic cooperation between Indonesia and Africa within the context of Africa’s Agenda 2063.
The forum is being held under the theme: “Forging Indonesia-Africa Parliamentary Partnership for Development”.
In a statement, the Parliament of Zimbabwe said the forum is expected to galvanise relations between Africa and Indonesia from a Parliamentary perspective, serving as a timeless reminder of the historical experiences and attendant aspirations towards self-determination, social justice and sustainable economic development.
“Resultantly, the event has drawn over 150 participants from 21 African countries, including 10 Speakers, 7 Deputy Speakers as well as 100 Indonesian Members of Parliament who are expected to share best Parliamentary practices,” he said.
Adv Mudenda continues on a trailblazing path of Parliamentary diplomacy where he has put Zimbabwe on a firm pedestal of parliamentary diplomacy as exemplified by his current chairmanship of the SADC-PF lobbying mission on the establishment of a SADC Parliament, which has resulted in the regional parliamentary body garnering required signatories for it to transform into a fully-fledged parliamentary body.
“To augment the foregoing and in recognition of his contribution to the parliamentary body of knowledge worldwide, Speaker Mudenda was nominated to deliver a keynote address on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the Indonesia-Africa Parliamentary Forum,” reads the statement.
“Speaker Mudenda is expected to accentuate the win-win relationship that exists between Africa and Indonesia in advancing strategic South-South Cooperation and sustainable economic growth, which is anchored on the fulcrum of the United Nations’ 16 Sustainable Development goals (SDGs).”
Cde Shamu is also expected to sit as a panellist during one of the sessions on South-South Cooperation for Prosperity and Sustainable Development Parliaments.
Online Reporter