Prosper Ndlovu in MOSCOW, Russia
VICE President Kembo Mohadi has arrived in Moscow to finalise implementation of a partnership agreement between Zimbabwe and Russian counterparts aimed at improving health service delivery in the country.
He is accompanied by Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Sleiman Kwidini, and was received at Vnukovo International Airport on Saturday morning by senior Russian government officials, Zimbabwean Ambassador to Russia, Cde Mark Grey Marongwe, and senior officials from the Zimbabwean delegation.
From the airport VP Mohadi was taken to a local hotel where he will shortly get a briefing by the advance team led by Permanent Secretary in his office, Dr Benson Dube, before commencement of business engagements.
His visit builds momentum from President Mnangagwa’s recent visit to Russia where Zimbabwe secured fruitful engagements for deepening economic synergies between the two friendly countries.
Zimbabwe and Russia enjoy cordial political and diplomatic relations dating back to the days of the liberation struggle, and focus is now on expanding the relationship on the economic front.
Earlier, Zimbabwean Ambassador to Russia, Cde Mark Grey Marongwe, said VP Mohadi’s engagement was a culmination of some of the positive outcomes from last week’s visit by President Mnangagwa who attended the Russia-Africa Summit.
During the visit, President Mnangagwa met his counterpart, President Vladimir Putin, and held several meetings with potential investors, the Zimbabwean diaspora community and students.
“What the Vice President is coming to address is implementation, we are at the implementation level of the Memoranda of Understanding across the whole economy,” said Amb Marongwe.
“He will visit a company that manufactures drugs and medical equipment to see how and what we can be able to achieve.
“So, we will have our Zimbabwean experts and Russian company experts sharing ideas on what is it Zimbabwe wants, what is it they can provide, what will be the manner for exchange and so forth.
“So, the VP has not come for just talk, he has come to supervise one of the many exchanges we have facilitated by signing Memoranda of Understanding.
Basically we have done all the Memoranda of Understanding, and it’s time to translate onto tangible benefits that people can see, can feel, that the economy of Zimbabwe can feel that there is change.”
He said VP Mohadi was expected to kickstart business engagements for the next few days, cementing the gains already achieved from President Mnangagwa’s earlier visit.
