Online Reporter
Wallace Ruzvidzo
Herald Reporter
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa received letters of credence yesterday from three ambassadors representing the European Union (EU), Egypt, and Sudan, with all three expressing strong interest in enhancing their countries’ relations with Zimbabwe.
Ambassador Katrin Hagemann will represent the EU, Dr Maha Serag El-Din Moustafa Kamela will represent Egypt, and Ambassador Ibrahim El Sheikh Abdelrazig Ahmed will represent Sudan.
Speaking to the media after her closed-door meeting with the President, Ambassador Hagemann said her main mission was to ensure the continued bolstering of relations between Harare and Brussels on all fronts.
“I am so happy to be here today as the new EU Ambassador to Zimbabwe. I have been in the country before and travelled and very much enjoyed my time here. It’s a beautiful country with warm people welcoming you everywhere. I’m very much looking forward to continuing that and working with the Government and the people of Zimbabwe to strengthen our relationships in this country,” she said.
The EU has partnered with Zimbabwe in various areas including agriculture, education, trade, and investments. Ambassador Hagemann said she had expressed her goodwill to President Mnangagwa, who, in turn, welcomed her warmly into the country.
“I have just presented my letters of credence to the President, and I was very touched by his welcoming words and by his commitment to strengthening the relations and the partnership between the European Union and Zimbabwe. We have a very wide-ranging partnership already.
“We are in many sectors from agriculture to women empowerment, from education and culture to resilience and sustainable management of natural resources, and we are looking at how we can widen and deepen that partnership further.
“In particular, we have a trade agreement that’s already in place where Zimbabwean businesses can export their goods without any hindrances, and we are trying to expand and deepen that trade agreement and the investment in Zimbabwe,” she said.
The EU, said the Ambassador, was committed to working with the Second Republic to attract more European investments. Ambassador Hagemann stated that the EU was already working with Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi on the good governance track of the arrears clearance and debt resolution platform established by President Mnangagwa in 2022.
“So, we are working on all of these issues. We are working with the Justice Minister to co-chair the governance track of the arrears clearance process, and we very much hope to make progress on that,” she said.
The Ambassador said she was already enjoying her time in Zimbabwe and had begun learning the local language.
“I’m trying to learn Shona. I spoke a bit of Swahili when I was in Kenya, but now I’m focusing on Shona.
“I very much enjoyed being here, and the team is doing a fantastic job of introducing me to the country,” said Ambassador Hagemann.
On her part, Egypt’s Ambassador Kamela, whose posting to Zimbabwe is her first diplomatic mission, said she would build on the already cordial relations between Harare and Cairo.
“I’m so proud to be here; this is an excellent posting for me. We have wonderful and excellent bilateral relations with Zimbabwe that we look forward to furthering and engaging more with our Zimbabwean brothers and sisters.
“Egypt was one of the first countries to support the Zimbabwean liberation movement in the 1960s, and Egypt was also one of the first countries to recognise the independence of Zimbabwe,” she said.
Zimbabwe and Egypt’s bilateral relations have continued on an upward trajectory in recent years. As such, the Egyptian diplomat said companies from her country had expressed interest in investing in Zimbabwe.
“We work together bilaterally in several areas. We coordinate, and we work together in international fora and regional organisations. Our investment companies and private sector are willing to come and invest,” she said.
Ambassador Kamela noted that Egypt had also acknowledged the economic development being ushered in by the Second Republic.
“We have been following the positive economic developments that have been taking place in Zimbabwe in recent years, and we continue to support these developments. Our private sector and companies are ready for investing and trading in Zimbabwe,” she said.
Sudan’s Ambassador Ahmed said he would focus on enhancing relations with Zimbabwe, adding that he had apprised President Mnangagwa on the prevailing situation in Sudan. Since 2023, there has been an active civil war in Sudan between two rival factions of the country’s military government.
“I pledged to coordinate with the Government of Zimbabwe to work on enhancing the African bond.
“I briefed His Excellency on the current situation in Sudan, and I requested the support of Zimbabwe,” he said.
