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Lloyd Gumbo in KIGALI, Rwanda
Zimbabwe is expected to enhance economic cooperation with Mali and Algeria in various areas that will further cement relations.
This came up after Mali President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and Algerian Prime Minister, Abdelmalek Sellal paid separate courtesy calls on President Mugabe at his hotel here last night.
Speaking to Zimbabwean and Malian media after the closed-door meeting, Presidents Mugabe and Boubacar Keita said they deliberated on a number of areas of interest that the two countries could pursue.
To that end, President Mugabe is expected to visit Mali once again where they are expected to strike deals on areas of cooperation.
“Well, first, we are good friends,” said President Mugabe.
“I visited Mali as you know. Afterwards, the President (Boubacar Keita) also visited Zimbabwe. That established a very friendly relationship between us, which had not existed before.
“Now we want to transform that relationship into vast fields of cooperation, which can be worked out when we pay each other another visit. He was finding out from me whether I can come again and I said yes, I am prepared to come again backed by my everlasting respect for one of our founding fathers Modibo Keita and naturally in order for us really to see how we can help each other in developing our two countries on a neutral basis.
“There it was, I am prepared to pay another visit . . . to the lovely country. It is a beautiful country and I really love the country and the people.
“We send our brotherly and sisterly greetings to the people of Mali. They are a loving people. We wish them peace.”
President Mugabe oversaw the peace deal between the Malian Government and Tuareg-led rebels in May last year, in his capacity as the African Union chairperson before President Boubacar Keita paid a three-day State visit to Zimbabwe a month later.
Asked on which areas of cooperation Mali was interested in, President Boubacar Keita said: “All the areas. Agriculture, industrial, all the areas of cooperation. As my brother said we want to strengthen the relationship, to deepen them in all fields.”
Prime Minister Sellal was the next to meet President Mugabe with Algiers’ Foreign Affairs Minister Ramtane Lamamra saying they were interested in implementing the agreements that were agreed between President Mugabe and his Algerian counterpart, President Abdelaziz Bouteflika during his State visit to Algeria in March last year.
“Oh yes, bilateral relations since the State visit of President Mugabe to Algeria. We have our roadmap that we will be implementing decisions that he made in Algiers with his brother (President Abdelaziz Bouteflika),” said Minister Lamamra.
He said President Mugabe and PM Sellal also exchanged notes on a number of issues that are before the AU Summit.
“We have been doing so because Algeria and Zimbabwe stand on the same side of history. We work for the same causes. We certainly got good guidance from His Excellency, President Mugabe. We will work hand in hand tomorrow to make our positions prevail. We have been discussing all issues and our views concur on all of them,” said Minister Lamamra .
Online Reporter