‘EU an important partner to Zim’

Wallace Ruzvidzo-Herald Reporter

The European Union (EU) is an important partner to Zimbabwe as shown by the Second Republic’s shift to economic diplomacy under the engagement and re-engagement policy, Acting Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ambassador Pavelin Musaka, has said.

Ambassador Musaka said this during the handover ceremony of vehicles by the EU under the Technical Assistance Zimbabwe Economic Partnership Agreement (TAZEPA).

The vehicles will benefit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the Ministry of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprise Development and the National Plant Protection Office housed under the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development.

Over the years, relations between Zimbabwe and the 27-member bloc have been strengthening as the Second Republic’s diplomatic offensive continues to bear fruit.

Ambassador Musaka said it was encouraging to note that collaboration between Harare and Brussels continued to increase.

“This occasion is a demonstration of the importance of partnerships through the availing of the necessary tools of trade for the three beneficiary institutions. Your Excellency, allow me to extend our sincere gratitude for this gesture, which is a reflection of our continued cooperation,” said Ambassador Musaka.

“These vehicles we are receiving today, add to the growing list of deliverables that have been achieved through the ZEPA, which include policy reviews and capacity building, to various Ministries and Agencies such as ZimTrade, the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra), Competition and Tariff Commission (CTC) and National Competitive Commission (NCC), to name a few.

“I am also informed that there is also some ICT equipment yet to be delivered.”

Ambassador Musaka said increased collaboration with the EU resonated with Zimbabwe’s national goals under the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and ultimately the country’s vision of becoming an upper-middle-income society by 2030.

“The support from the EU dovetails with the Republic of Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030, ‘Towards a prosperous and empowered upper middle-income society by 2030’. The advent of the Second Republic saw a major shift towards economic diplomacy that is being championed by the President, His Excellency, Dr. E.D Mnangagwa, anchored upon the national economic blueprint, the NDS1, which runs from 2021-2025,” she said.

“The NDS1 aims at ensuring high, accelerated, inclusive and sustainable economic growth as well as socio-economic transformation and development as we move towards an upper middle-income society by 2030.”

Speaking at the same occasion, EU’s head of cooperation Mr Franck Porte said trade between the two sides had continued on an upward trajectory.

“Trade, as we all recognise, is an engine propelling economic growth and investment. It is encouraging to see that trade between Zimbabwe and the EU is increasing,” he said.

“The numbers speak for themselves; the volume of trade grew by 25 percent from €587 million in 2021 to €735 million in 2022. In the same year, Zimbabwe’s exports to the EU reached an impressive €512 million, surpassing €223million worth of imports.”

Mr Porte said the EU was committed to assisting in Zimbabwe’s economic growth.

“Trade, a cornerstone of the EU-Zimbabwe partnership, has been a focal point since May 2012 when Zimbabwe gained preferential access to the EU’s 27 markets under the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (I-EPA) together with four fellow ESA states: Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles,” he said.

“The aim of the EU’s trade and development policy is to put trade at the service of inclusive growth and development in partner countries, a principle that also resonates with Zimbabwe’s National Trade Policy Vision and Export Strategy and NDS1.”