Online Reporter
Blessings Chidakwa-Herald Reporter
Greece has officially announced its support for Zimbabwe’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
This endorsement adds to the growing list of nations backing Zimbabwe for this influential role in the powerful Security Council.
The backing from Greece and other nations underscores a collective acknowledgement of Zimbabwe’s potential role in the Security Council.
Yesterday, incoming Greece Ambassador to Zimbabwe Ms Anna Farrou and her Cuban counterpart, Ambassador Susellys Perez Meza, presented their letters of credence to President Mnangagwa at State House.
First to present her credentials was Ambassador Farrou, who said she was committed to uplifting the already excellent relations between Zimbabwe and Greece.
Ambassador Farrou said she also took the opportunity to thank the President for supporting Greece in its election as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the period of 2025 to 2026.
“I reiterated our commitment to support Zimbabwe in its effort to be elected to the Security Council,” she said.
Zimbabwe is bidding for a non-permanent seat on the UNSC for 2027 to 2028.
The UNSC consists of five permanent members (China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland and the United States of America) and 10 non-permanent members elected by the General Assembly for a term of two years.
In accordance with rule 142, the General Assembly elects each year five non-permanent members of the Security Council, five from African and Asian States; one from Eastern European States, two from Latin American States and two from Western European and other States.
Through President Mnangagwa’s Chairmanship of SADC, the country has been commented for fostering regional peace and stability.
“I also commended the tireless efforts by His Excellency, the President, regarding securing peace and security in the region, also through his leadership in SADC”.
Ambassador Farrou promised to work closely with Zimbabwe in tourism, agriculture and education to enhance and consolidate the excellent relations between the two nations.
“So, there are many sectors where we could explore opportunities at political and economic levels. One of my priorities will be the sector of tourism. Greece, as you know, is a touristic country,” she said.
“Our industry heavily relies on tourism. So, there is a lot of expertise there, and we are very, very happy to share it with our friends and partners. To show you an indication of what I mean about tourism in Greece, last year, 35 million people visited Greece.”
Ambassador Farrou added: “35 million is a lot of people, and Greece is a small country, so you understand how important hospitality and tourism is for us and what kind of expertise my country has in this sector.”
The Greece Ambassador to Zimbabwe said another area in which they will explore possibilities to enhance relations is agriculture.
Ambassador Farrou said apart from that, they believe in people-to-people contacts.
“So, this is something which is also very high on my agenda, and this means that we will try to see how we can increase the number of scholarships that we provide to Zimbabwean students,” she said.
In a separate interview, Ms Meza said Zimbabwe and Cuba have “historical and strong ties.”
President Mnangagwa poses for a photograph with the Cuban Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Ms Susellys Perez Meza, at State House in Harare yesterday
“My task will be to strengthen them. We share a lot of values. We are very close. Unfortunately, we also share some things, like the sanctions. We will fight, we will continue fighting against that,” she said.
