Online Reporter
Wallace Ruzvidzo-Herald Reporter
A Foreign Affairs and International Trade Bill that is expected to be enacted this year is being worked on by the Government to underscore the country’s diplomatic offensive launched since late 2017 by the Second Republic, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Professor Amon Murwira, has said.
Speaking on the sidelines of a public lecture he delivered at the Zimbabwe National Defence University (ZNDU) in Harare on Wednesday, Prof Murwira said the country was moving ahead to have a structured foreign policy.
He said this would strengthen the country’s diplomatic offensive launched under the engagement and re‑engagement mantra.
Zimbabwe is also marketing itself as a “friend to all and an enemy to none”.
“You see, our national strategic intent is to make sure that our foreign relations yield positive results for Zimbabwe and the countries that we partner with,” said Prof Murwira.
“Our Constitution directs us to formulate laws and regulations that speak to the Constitution. In our case, we have Section 12 of the Constitution, which gives us the principles of our foreign affairs for foreign relations.
“All these aspirations of the Constitution must be translated into legislation so that we have unified and codified systems that enable Zimbabwe to relate with the world in a structured and predictable way.”
Prof Murwira added that the formulation of the Act was in line with a directive given by President Mnangagwa.
“We always say, like in the Bible they say, ‘In the beginning He (God) created the heavens and the earth, and He had to back it up by the law’.
“So, you always have to back up your actions by the law and we are just following the natural way of running the affairs of a State,” he said.
During the public lecture, Prof Murwira showcased graphic images detailing the extent to which Zimbabwe is co‑operating and partnering with countries across the globe.
He said this was reflective of Government’s strategic plan to gauge how best to relate with each country in the comity of nations.
As such, Prof Murwira said his ministry is also formulating the country’s global strategy.
“Based on that data, we are then able to navigate in a way that makes us be able to trade with the wider world.
“Our aim is to relate with the world, friend to all, enemy to none, open for business, working with everybody in the world for the good of Zimbabwe and for the good of the people that we are partnering with.
“In actual fact, we are in the process of developing Zimbabwe’s global strategy, and our global strategy is a peaceful strategy mainly aimed at developing deeper trade and economic relations,” he said.
Through its foreign policy mantras, Zimbabwe has been able to attract many investors who have seized opportunities available in the country.
This has seen more jobs being created in the agriculture, mining, tourism and manufacturing sectors since 2018.
