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Kuda Bwititi in MOSCOW, Russia
SADC chair, President Mnangagwa, is set to join dozens of world leaders here today for the high-profile ceremony marking Russia’s victory in World War II, an event expected to underscore President Vladimir Putin’s geopolitical influence.
President Mnangagwa arrived in Russia yesterday accompanied by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira, Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Prof Mthuli Ncube, Attorney General Mrs Virginia Mabiza and other senior Government officials.
Russia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Responsible for Africa and the Middle East Mikhali Borgdanov and Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Russia, Mark Grey Marongwe, received President Mnangagwa.
Last night, President Mnangagwa joined other world leaders at a high-level reception hosted by President Putin.
President Mnangagwa attends a reception and dinner hosted by President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia yesterday.
Today, the leaders will attend the main celebrations and witness the ostentatious Victory Day ceremony. A display of advanced weaponry and a speech from President Putin reaffirming Russia’s military resolve will highlight the event.
Zimbabwe and Russia enjoy excellent political relations, and the focus now is on elevating trade and economic cooperation.
Held annually on May 9, the Victory Day parade commemorates the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945 and serves as a platform for Russia to showcase its military strength. This year’s event takes heightened significance as 29 Heads of State are in attendance, up from nine last year.
For Zimbabwe, the visit presents an opportunity to reinforce economic and trade partnerships with Russia, which has supplied Harare with health, agricultural as well as science and technology equipment, among other investments.
In an interview with Zimbabwean journalists here yesterday, Prof Murwira said the visit will enable Harare to strengthen trade and economic ties with Russia, building on the two nations’ strong political relations.
H.E. President E.D Mnangagwa attended a reception and dinner hosted by President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin.
“We have a strategic relationship between ourselves and the Russian Federation and our relations are excellent, which are political relations. What we are now working on is to enhance trade. In order to enhance trade, it needs what to trade, who trades, the trading infrastructure, the legal infrastructure, and the financial flows between the two countries,” he said.
In March this year, the country’s trade promotion body, ZimTrade, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with its Russian counterpart to formalise trade mechanisms.
According to Prof Murwira, under the MoU, efforts are underway to establish warehousing systems in both countries to facilitate the exchange of goods.
He said some of the products identified for enhanced exports to Russia include diamonds and tropical agricultural foodstuffs.
“Zimbabwe is a tropical country, which means we produce tropical goods besides the mining, which has nothing to do with the weather. But when it comes to agronomic products or agricultural products, we have citrus, we have all sorts of tropical vegetables, fruits and grains, which we can exchange with the Russian Federation. But at the same time, we are a mining country,” Prof Murwira said.
“The mining, the minerals per capita in Zimbabwe is very high. It is the highest in the world (and) the Russian Federation is also very good at it. That’s why we are working with the diamond giant in Russia (Alrosa), in Zimbabwe, to make sure that we enhance economic trade between our two countries. So, the issue is to improve trading infrastructure so that we are able to trade.”
Moscow was buzzing with activity yesterday as Heads of State from around the world trooped in for the commemoration.
The event will be closely watched for geopolitical cues, as leaders from allied nations — including China, Central Asian states and African partners — gather in Moscow’s Red Square.
Security in the Russian capital has been tightened, with thousands of troops and military vehicles set to parade alongside modern missile systems.
Online Reporter