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Herald Reporter
OUTGOING Cuban Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mrs Carmelina Ramirez Rodriguez has bade farewell to President Mnangagwa following the end of her four-year tour of duty.
Briefing journalists after holding a meeting with the President at State House in Harare yesterday, Ambassador Rodriguez said the success of her country was attributable largely to the close ties it enjoys with Zimbabwe.
She said she was leaving Harare a happy person after helping in deepening bilateral relations between the two countries in many areas, chief among them being Higher and Tertiary Education.
“My stay in Zimbabwe has been wonderful. I made a lot of friends and my contribution was on how to consolidate and strengthen our friendship. I do not have any complaints. I got a lot of support from the Government, Zanu PF, and ordinary people,” said Ambassador Rodriguez.
“If my nation is to be successful, it is because of Zimbabwe. I want to use this opportunity to say ‘thank you to Zimbabwe for the goodwill and friendship we had’. We have a historical and strategic relationship that started before Independence and continued to strengthen particularly in the critical areas such as health and education.”
Zimbabwe and Cuba have cooperated in many areas and the setting up of Bindura University of Science Education (BUSE) was done with the assistance of Havana.
Harare has been sending science and mathematics teachers to Bindura for training while Havana has deployed many of its doctors to help in Zimbabwe’s health centres.
“We had a project at Bindura University, we also provided scholarships from the beginning of Independence, young Zimbabweans studying science in Cuba. We have created a school for Zimbabwe to study science, now it is not only Zimbabwe but Botswana and South Africa, they have gone through our universities,” said Ambassador Rodriguez.
Early this week, the diplomat bade farewell to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, where they discussed areas of cooperation.
Cuba has developed its own Covid-19 vaccine and Ambassador Rodriguez said they were willing to assist Zimbabwe with technological know-how to produce its own.
Zimbabwe and Cuba share longstanding relations dating back to the time of the country’s liberation struggle.
Cuba, just like Zimbabwe, has had illegal sanctions imposed on it by the United States.
Online Reporter