Spanish diplomat, Speaker seek to deepen ties

Farirai Machivenyika

Senior Reporter

SPAIN’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Ms Lourdes Sangroniz, yesterday paid a courtesy call on Speaker of Parliament Advocate Jacob Mudenda at his offices at the new Parliament Building in Mt Hampden, where they discussed various issues, including the deepening of economic ties.

Ambassador Sangroniz assumed her posting last October after presenting her credentials to President Mnangagwa.

“I have been in the country for a couple of months and today (yesterday) I visited the Honourable Speaker for the first time. However, it is my second time in this magnificent building and the institution it represents,” she said.

“Our encounter has been most friendly. He has been extraordinarily welcoming and has demonstrated an attachment to my country, Spain, because of the education and upbringing he received from Spanish missionaries in Zimbabwe.

“The first missionaries arrived in 1949, and he highlighted the extraordinary work they have carried out in the fields of education, health and clinics, especially in remote and hard‑to‑reach areas.

“The missionaries were already providing services such as education, sanitation and health care in places where the State could not reach.”

Ambassador Sangroniz said they also discussed potential areas for strengthening cooperation, including agriculture, renewable energy and tourism.

“The numbers are limited at present. We do not have significant bilateral trade,” she said.

She added that trade levels between Zimbabwe and Spain remain modest, but with room for improvement.

“As I mentioned, the figures are modest, and we want to improve and grow them through increased investment and trade in the sectors I have highlighted,” she said.

In 2024, Zimbabwe exported goods worth approximately US$28,5 million to Spain, mainly comprising agricultural commodities and minerals. Spain, in turn, exported goods valued at around US$5 million to Zimbabwe, largely consisting of industrial equipment, chemicals and pharmaceutical products.

The meeting underscored ongoing efforts by both countries to strengthen bilateral relations and expand economic cooperation in key sectors.