President in Dubai en-route to Iran

the 16th session of the Non-Aligned Movement.
The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zim­babwe Defence Forces is accompanied by Amai Grace Mugabe and senior Government officials.

Zimbabwe embassy officials based in Kuwait received him at the Dubai Inter­national Airport.
He is expected to leave Dubai tomor­row to join other heads of  State and government and officials from 160 NAM members meeting in Iran.
Businesspeople in Dubai held a din­ner for him last night.

Foreign ministers of NAM coun­tries met on Sunday in Iran ahead of the offi­cial opening of the summit on Wednes­day.
The summit ends on Friday.

The overwhelming attendance of Sunday ministers’ meeting proved that the US has failed to isolate Iran from the rest of the world.
Iranian Foreign Minister, Mr Ali Akbar Salehi, opened the ministers’ meeting and hoped for a show of soli­darity against sanctions the West has imposed to punish Iran for its nuclear programme.

Zimbabwe is among countries in Africa, whose attempts to use home­grown solutions to economically empower its people were also being frustrated by illegal sanctions imposed by Britain, America and their Western allies.

Iran has been seeking co-operation with developing countries and it took over the presidency of the NAM from Egypt during this week’ summit.
Iran is interested in deepening its co-operation with Zimbabwe and has established a tractor assembling plant in the country as well as assisting in the revival of Modzone garment fac­tory in Chitungwiza.

At least 50 Heads of State and Gov­ernment will attend the NAM sum­mit, where 80 countries will be repre­sented.