adminHerald Reporter
Zimbabwe and Egypt must work towards the materialisation of 10 bilateral agreements they negotiated a few years ago for the benefit of their people, outgoing Egyptian ambassador Mr Bassem Khalil has said. Speaking to journalists after bidding farewell to Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa at his Munhumutapa Offices in Harare yesterday, Mr Khalil said implementation of the agreements would take relations between Zimbabwe and Egypt to higher levels.
He said of the 10 agreements, four are ready to be signed.
“We have about 10 agreements which should be signed and this will give a big boost to the promotion of relations between our countries,” he said.
“About four of those are ready to be signed while the other ones are being finalised and being considered by the security in both countries. I call upon the Zimbabwean side to finish processes on their side so that we proceed to sign.”
The agreements to be signed include special exemptions on passports and visas, co-operation in agriculture and culture, resumption of direct flights between Cairo and Harare and a pact on political consultation.
Mr Khalil represented his country in Zimbabwe for the past four years.
He said he hoped the agreements would be signed when Zimbabwe and Egypt hold a Joint Commission at a date to be announced.
“We are waiting to have a Joint Commission between the two Foreign Affairs ministries and we have tried to push for it, but we had limited time,” he said.
“We could not fix the date because Zimbabwe was occupied since taking over the chairmanship of the African Union and Sadc while the political developments in Egypt also could not allow that to happen.”
Mr Khalil said the resumption of direct flights between Egypt and Zimbabwe would increase trade between the two countries.
Egypt Air used to fly three times a week between Cairo and Harare before suspending the flights last year.
He said the political situation in Egypt was stabilising and the country now wanted to prioritise relations with African nations.
Online Reporter