Online Reporter
Wallace Ruzvidzo-Herald Reporter
NEWLY-ACCREDITED ambassadors from the Kingdom of Lesotho, Panama and Qatar presented their letters of credence to President Mnangagwa at State House in Harare yesterday.
They were Ntsime Victor Jafeta from the Kingdom of Lesotho, Rodrigo Guillermo Chiari Alvarez of Panama and Mubarak Bin Nasser Mubarak Al-Khalifa of Qatar.
President Mnangagwa receives letters of credence from Panama’s incoming Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Rodrigo Guillermo Chiari Alvarez at State House in Harare yesterday while Foreign Affairs and International Trade Acting Permanent Secretary Mrs Petronella Nyagura (centre), who is the Chief Director for Multilateral Affairs in the ministry looks on. — Picture: Believe Nyakudjara.
Speaking to the media after their separate closed-door meetings with the President, the three diplomats said they were committed to strengthening bilateral ties with Harare.
Ambassador Jafeta described his meeting with President Mnangagwa as a “very positive discussion”.
“We actually reiterated the warm and cordial relations that exist between our two sister countries and one of the things that I pledged in my discussions with the President is that during my tenure of duty as the Ambassador of Lesotho to Zimbabwe, I will make sure that the already existing warm and cordial relations are promoted towards economic cooperation,” he said.
The Lesotho diplomat said a Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation (JPCC) between Harare and Maseru was also on the cards.
“And we also discussed the issue of the Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation between the two countries, which is going to work as a legal framework on which the programmes of cooperation will be identified.
“And as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Lesotho to Zimbabwe, I will make sure that I promote that, to make sure that all the areas that have been identified in the agreement work for the benefit of our peoples,” he said.
The President poses for a photograph with Mr Mubarak Bin Nasser Al-Khalifa, Qatar’s incoming Ambassador to Zimbabwe, after receiving his credentials at State House in Harare yesterday. — Pictures: Believe Nyakudjara.
Panama’s Ambassador Alvarez said his country, which is setting up camp in Zimbabwe for the first time, is looking forward to close collaboration in various fields, particularly food security.
“We will make sure that eventually trade missions will be seen in Harare and other parts of your country to seek opportunities to develop relations in trade,” he said.
Ambassador Alvarez said he had held fruitful deliberations with the President, which saw them exchanging views on various areas.
“We are both Third World countries and we believe in people’s empowerment.
Qatar’s Al-Khalifa said he was here to contribute to the continuous improvement of relations with Zimbabwe.
“I’m here to support and to contribute to the good relationship between the two countries,” he said.
