Mnangagwa, Belarus leader sign MOU

From Kuda Bwititi in Minsk, Belarus—
VICE-President Emmerson Mnangangwa yesterday met Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and later signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Prime Minister Andrei Kobyakov, marking a milestone in strengthening ties between Harare and Minsk. During the meeting at his Palace of Independence here, VP Mnangagwa told the Belarus leader that he had come to visit on behalf of President Robert Mugabe, who is keen to enhance cooperation between the two countries.

Briefing journalists soon after the meeting, VP Mnagagwa said President Lukashenko had expressed willingness to augment bilateral ties between the two countries, as Harare and Minski are united in their goal of busting Western imposed sanctions.

Said VP Mnangagwa:

“He (President Lukashenko) was happy that President Mugabe sent this delegation that I’m leading and that he’s fully aware of the political and economic challenges Zimbabwe is facing, especially from the EU, the British and the Americans.

“He’s fully aware of the sanctions we’ve been going through and he says that Belarus is also under sanctions but the people of Belarus will not yield to pressures from outside. They’ll determine their destination themselves and as a result of their stance, they have had no diplomatic relations with the United States of America for some time now.”

Vice-President Mnangagwa said President Lukashenko also expressed his intention to visit Zimbabwe soon and urged his officials to operationalise agreements signed between the two countries before he visits Harare.

“They’re eager to establish and develop relations with Africa and his view is that Zimbabwe is the most appropriate African country from which Belarus should have influence in Africa and in the region.

“In the course of our discussions, he also said that he gave instructions to his people, ‘let us develop our relations with Zimbabwe so that we can service the rest of Africa in particular the southern region in terms of equipment, in agriculture and in mining but centred as a hub in Zimbabwe’”.

VP Mnangagwa then visited Prime Minister Kobyakov and the two jointly appended their signatures to the MoU for the supply of equipment worth $150 million by Belarus firms to Zimbabwe for mining, road and dam construction, and agriculture.

Under the MoU, the Development Bank of Belarus, the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and the PTA bank will coordinate the financing of the initiative.

After signing the MoU, premier Kobyakov said the current level of cooperation between Zimbabwe and Belarus was “quite moderate” hence the need to immediately implement the MoU and work on other areas of co-operation.

He also toured tractor manufacturing company, Minsk Tractor Works and other manufacturing companies.

Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor John Mangudya and senior government officials are accompanying Vice-President Mnangagwa.