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Farirai Machivenyika Senior Reporter
The Speaker of the National Assembly, Advocate Jacob Mudenda has called for the strengthening of relations between Zimbabwe and the United Arab Emirates through enacting laws that encourage investment and promote the ease of doing business between the two countries.
Advocate Mudenda said this during his three-day visit to the UAE last week following an invitation by his counterpart and President of the Federal National Council, Saqr Ghabash.
The Speaker was accompanied by three Members of Parliament Cdes Elina Shirichena, Mathias Tongofa and Ability Gandawa who are members of Portfolio Committee of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
In a statement yesterday on the visit, Parliament said the two Speakers applauded the excellent fraternal relations that exist between the two countries that have cascaded to their respective parliaments.
“Speaker Ghabash accentuated the need to embrace the sound relations between the two States as espoused by the visit to the UAE by Zimbabwe President Mnangagwa during the World Expo 2020 as His Excellency led celebrations on the Zimbabwe day. On his part, Speaker Mudenda expressed the desire for the further deepening of relations in strategic fields like mineral exploration and beneficiation, agriculture, tourism and manufacturing as was espoused eloquently during the visit by President Mnangagwa, for the mutual economic benefit of the two countries’ citizenry,” reads a statement from Parliament.
The two leaders also discussed the need to invest in renewable with Speaker Ghabash saying his country was interested in investing in Zimbabwe due to its abundant sunshine throughout the year.
“Advocate Mudenda indicated that the two Parliaments can play a pivotal role in enacting appropriate legislation to mitigate the climate change impact. On that score, Speaker Mudenda commended the UAE for the advanced preparations to host Cop28. It was Speaker Mudenda’s hope that the UAE would score a landmark footprint by ensuring that the climate change Loss and Damage Fund is made operational during Cop28 this year,” further reads the statement.
“The meeting concluded by expressing the desirability of the two Parliaments to enact laws that promote the conducive investment environment and the ease of doing business in both countries so that the bilateral economic ties between the two States are upscaled.”
Relations between Zimbabwe and the UAE have grown tremendously in the Second Republic that have resulted in the strengthening of diplomatic relations with UAE opening an embassy in Harare and an increase in trade with Zimbabwe exporting agricultural produce and minerals to the Middle Eastern country.
Speaker Mudenda and his delegation also visited two companies, Mubadala and Eagle Hills, who are keen to invest in lithium mining and real estate development respectively.
Online Reporter