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BELARUSIAN Deputy Prime Minister Piotr Parkhomchik was in Zimbabwe recently to deliver a message from President Alexander Lukashenko to his counterpart, President Mnangagwa, ahead of his planned visit to the country in December. Our Senior Reporter LEROY DZENGA (LD) talked to Belarusian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Mr Alexander Sidoruk (AS), on the state of bilateral relations between the two countries.
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LD: Zimbabwe and Belarus share a very strong bond, which has deepened in recent years. What is the secret behind the growing relations?
AS: Belarus attaches great importance to the development of friendly relations with Zimbabwe. Both states share similar approaches to critical issues on the international agenda. Belarus wants to support the Government of Zimbabwe in achieving its goals in the country’s development strategy, Vision 2030, to assist in the modernisation and development of the manufacturing sector of Zimbabwe by providing advisory and technical services, infrastructural projects implementation, as well as technical training at Belarusian educational centres.
Opening of the Embassy of Belarus in Harare this year constituted an important milestone in our relations.
LD: Please, give us a review of the visit by your Deputy Prime Minister.
AS: In the course of his visit, the Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus was received by President Mnangagwa and had meetings with heads of several ministries and representatives of the Zimbabwean business community.
As part of the visit, the first round of political consultations between the foreign ministries of Belarus and Zimbabwe was held. For those consultations, the Belarusian delegation was led by Mr Sergei Aleinik, First Deputy Foreign Minister, and the Zimbabwean delegation was led by Dr David Musabayana, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
We discussed the current state of bilateral relations, progress in the implementation of joint projects and prospects for deepening trade and investment co-operation, as well as an improvement of the legal framework. Special attention was paid to preparations for the impending high-profile visit of the Belarusian Head of State to Zimbabwe and its practical and economic content.
LD: What has inspired President Lukashenko’s impending visit and what is its significance?
AS: In January 2019, His Excellency President Mnangagwa paid an official visit to Minsk. This event gave significant impetus to the development of our bilateral relations. In turn, H.E. Alexander Lukashenko was invited to Zimbabwe in a reciprocal visit.
During the meeting at State House on October 11, 2022, a message from the Belarusian president about his intention to visit Zimbabwe in December 2022 was handed over.
The Zimbabwean leader confirmed his readiness to receive his Belarusian counterpart, noting that the visit would confirm the existing true friendship between Belarus and Zimbabwe.
We are confident that the planned visit by HE Lukashenko will give a significant boost to Belarus-Zimbabwe bilateral relations and will contribute to a more intensive development of our partnership.
LD: There is agricultural equipment that is being brought to Zimbabwe in phases, with phase one having been done and phase two about to commence. Please, explain what each phase entails?
AS: The first phase of the Belarus Farm Mechanisation Facility was completed in 2020, when the first batches of Belarusian agricultural machinery arrived in Harare and started working on Zimbabwean fields.
At present, we are implementing supply agreements on Belarusian agricultural machinery — tractors, harvesters and attachments — under the second phase of the Belarus Farm Mechanisation Facility. We have already delivered more than 1 000 Belarusian tractors to the Zimbabwean Government. The third phase provides for delivery of about 3 700 tractors. At the same time, we provide training for Zimbabwean specialists at our local service centre, Bison Agro Machinery, in Willowvale, Harare.
LD: With Zimbabwe becoming one of the major destinations for Belarusian technology in the Southern Africa region, are there plans for companies like Bison to open assembly plants in the country?
AS: The Republic of Belarus views Zimbabwe as an important partner in the Southern Africa region, and we want to gradually advance to the highest strategic level of cooperation. Currently, there is a high level of trade and economic co-operation between our countries and we want to reaffirm the significant interest from the Belarusian side in increasing interaction and ensuring stable and dynamic growth in trade with Zimbabwe. Apart from its machinery, Belarus is always ready to help its friend and organise supply of a wide range of consumer goods, medicines and food to Zimbabwe.
Our goods are widely known and well-reputed in many countries worldwide.
The Belarusian side believes that reciprocal trade should be balanced; in this regard, Belarus welcomes the increase in the counter- supply of goods the Belarusian market needs, in addition to our intention to expand and diversify our exports to Zimbabwe.
We also strive to achieve more profound economic cooperation, like the creation of joint ventures. For instance, the construction of a 100MW photovoltaic power plant in Harare.
LD: Like Zimbabwe, Belarus has been subjected to sanctions and interference by the West. How do you, as a country, manage to protect your sovereignty in the face of such a situation?
AS: In our counter-sanction resistance, we rely on our close allies and partners and joint interaction with international organisations. We believe in multilateralism and in finding peaceful solutions for any conflict. The Belarusian side is grateful for words of support and solidarity by Zimbabwe in response to the illegal imposition of sanctions by Western countries.
LD: What advice would you give Zimbabwe on how to fight the sanctions?
AS: We are aware that over the past two decades, Zimbabwe has been a victim of hostile, illegal, unilateral and forceful actions by Western countries. These particular actions have caused untold serious socio-economic and humanitarian suffering to both our countries and have affected ordinary citizens. We believe that each country has the right to protect its sovereignty and declare it openly, but it’s very difficult to oppose the pressure alone. Therefore, we have to join our efforts in order to confront this pressure effectively.
LD: Any last words?
AS: Belarus is interested in expanding cooperation in the humanities with Zimbabwe. The planned visit of a delegation of the Ministry of Education and Belarusian universities to Zimbabwe should be a good opportunity for this.
We are also pleased to note that this year we have signed the Programme of Scientific and Technical Co-operation deal between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Zimbabwe for 2022 to 2024.
Belarus stands ready to provide education for Zimbabweans for demanded specialties. We are convinced that those young professionals who have been educated in Belarus will contribute to the further economic development of Zimbabwe.
In addition, we are interested in creating direct inter-university contacts, the development of joint educational programmes, sharing experiences in the field of professional and technical education and are open to assist in the establishment of Learning Centres for Professional Education.
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