Online Reporter
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke
President Mnangagwa yesterday hosted farewell courtesy calls from the outgoing Ambassadors of the Netherlands and Italy at State House in Harare, marking the end of their respective tenures in Zimbabwe and celebrating strengthened bilateral relations.
Outgoing Netherlands Ambassador Dr. Margret Verwijk, who has been in the country since 2021, reflected on the progress made during her tenure, particularly in boosting trade and supporting value chain development.
“Relations have really evolved and at the beginning of my stay, I was asked to work especially on increasing bilateral trade and guess what, we managed to double trade between the Netherlands and Zimbabwe,” she stated.
Ambassador Verwijk highlighted the strategic role of Dutch infrastructure in facilitating Zimbabwean exports.
“The Netherlands, and not just our airport but also the Port of Rotterdam, are like a gateway to Europe, which is a huge market.
“A lot of the horticultural produce ends up in the supermarkets in the Netherlands, and Dutch people just love the blueberries and they love the avocados from Zimbabwe,” she remarked.
Meanwhile, outgoing Italian Ambassador Umberto Malnati, who has served in Zimbabwe for three years, mentioned that bilateral cooperation had expanded significantly, particularly in trade, agriculture, and infrastructure.
“The relations in these fields are great and they are constantly improving. Many Italian companies visited Zimbabwe while we were here. Not only that, but we now have three companies here with direct investment,” he noted.
Ambassador Malnati highlighted ongoing Italian investments in dam construction, granite extraction, and agriculture, noting the presence of long-standing companies such as New Holland.
“There are also many companies exporting water, mining, and agricultural equipment to Zimbabwe.
“You go to the supermarket and you find a lot of Italian food, so there is a wide distribution of Italian products here as well. I’m sure that relations will improve even after my departure and that the two peoples will be ever closer,” he said. Ambassador Malnati identified agriculture as the most promising sector, citing four new projects launched in 2025, supported by FAO, NGOs, and Italian financing, worth around US$4 million.
