Online Reporter
Wallace Ruzvidzo in NEW YORK, USA
ZIMBABWE’S engagements at the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly were highly productive as they managed to broaden the country’s diplomatic and commercial ties.
In an interview here on Friday, Zimbabwe’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Taonga Mushayavanhu, said President Mnangagwa’s programme focused primarily on bilateral diplomacy, engagement with the UN’s intergovernmental processes and selected business engagements.
“When the President comes to the United Nations General Assembly, he is basically focussing on two broad issues. First, bilateral engagements and then addressing the General Assembly itself and other intergovernmental meetings within the United Nations system,” he said.
The President held two engagements with the United States business community — a business forum on Sunday and a dinner with prominent business figures on Monday evening — as part of Zimbabwe’s push to deepen economic diplomacy and position the country for increased investment and trade.
He also met Zimbabweans living in the United States to strengthen diaspora ties and addressed the General Assembly.
“I think we did very well. We had a focused programme so that the President did not have to attend so many meetings, which we thought maybe were at ministerial level,” he said.
“We had so many ministerial engagements by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the Minister of Health (and Child Care), the Minister of Tourism (and Hospitality Industry). So, we had so many other side engagements by ministers, which were also quite meaningful, but which we thought had to be attended at the ministerial level and not the presidency.”
The Government, he said, was satisfied with the outcome of the engagements, particularly progress in expanding its diplomatic network and trade relations.
“We were very happy with the feedback we got. Overall, I think we did very well in terms of the number of agreements that we signed to expand our diplomatic reach around the world, and also the issues to do with expanding trade,” Amb Mushayavanhu added.
“So we are quite happy with what we did.”
President Mnangagwa’s UNGA address also placed emphasis on reform of the multilateral system, development financing and the beneficiation of critical minerals.
Zimbabwe is set to take up a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2027-2028 term in January.
