Online Reporter
Mukudzei Chingwere
Herald Reporter
ZIMBABWE and Iran’s excellent political relations are poised to extend to the economic front on the back of Iranian manufacturing companies keen to set up shop in Zimbabwe.
Last year, Iran Tractor Manufacturing Company (ITMCO) expressed their interest in a meeting between Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga and Iran first Vice President Mohammad Mokhber in Tehran.
Yesterday, the Charge d’Affaires of Iran in Zimbabwe, Mr Hadi Taheri, paid a courtesy call on VP Chiwenga where he renewed the interest of companies from his country and took the opportunity to invite the VP to the third edition of the Iran-Africa International Economic Conference next month.
The VP has attended the previous editions as Zimbabwe continues to spread global economic synergies in traditional and emerging markets.
The conference is part of the global energy super-power’s quest to deepen mutually beneficial economic co-operation with African countries and Zimbabwe, in line with President Mnangagwa’s thrust to pursue all economic beneficial synergies, is firmly on board. Speaking after meeting VP Chiwenga, Mr Taheri spoke about their economic synergies with Zimbabwe.
“In the meeting with Vice President Chiwenga, various topics and areas of co-operation were discussed. Firstly we invited the Vice President to come and visit Iran and participate in the third edition of the Iran Africa seminar in Tehran and also the Iran Expo next month,” said Mr Taheri.
“We also discussed a variety of bilateral issues and topics like manufacturing tractors, where we discussed the possibilities of an Iranian company coming to manufacture tractors here in Zimbabwe.
“In the field of medicines and pharmaceuticals, we spoke about bringing medical equipment here from Iran like cancer machines.
“We already have two memorandums in the field of medicines and pharmaceuticals. Some of our medicines have already come here and there has been good feedback.
“The third consignments are coming and we are now working on bringing medical equipment,” said Mr Taheri.
After attending the Second Iran-Africa Economic Conference last year, an increase in interest to trade and exchange technical expertise between Zimbabwe and Iran has been reported.
The Iran-Africa conference seeks to provide an alternative economic order against the status quo which is skewed in favour of the West and their political allies to the detriment of the rest of the world.
