Online Reporter
Kuda Bwititi in Moscow, Russia
SADC chair, President Mnangagwa, who is in Moscow, will today to join other world leaders at a high-profile ceremony marking Russia’s victory in World War II, a celebration that is expected to highlight President Vladimir Putin’s geopolitical influence.
President Mnangagwa arrived in Russia yesterday, accompanied by Cabinet Ministers Professors Amon Murwira and Mthuli Ncube, Attorney-General Virginia Mabiza, and other senior Government officials.
Russia’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Responsible for Africa and the Middle East, Mikhali Borgdanov, and Zimbabwe’s chief diplomat to Russia, Ambassador Mark Grey Marongwe, received the President and his delegation.
Last night, President Mnangagwa joined other world leaders at a high-level reception hosted by President Putin.
Today, he will join other leaders at the main celebrations and witness the ostentatious Victory Day ceremony.
A display of advanced weaponry and a speech from President Putin reaffirming Russia’s military resolve will highlight the event.
Zimbabwe and Russia enjoy excellent political relations, and the focus now is on elevating trade and economic co-operation.
Held annually on May 9, the Victory Day parade commemorates the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945 and serves as a platform for Russia to showcase its military strength.
This year’s event takes on heightened significance as 29 Heads of State are in attendance, up from nine last year.
For Zimbabwe, the visit presents an opportunity to reinforce economic and trade partnerships with Russia, which has supplied Harare with health, agricultural, as well as science and technology equipment, among other investments.
In an interview with Zimbabwean journalists yesterday, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira said the visit will enable Harare to strengthen trade and economic ties with Russia, building on the two nations’ strong political relations.
“We have a strategic relationship between ourselves and the Russian Federation, and our relations are excellent, which are political relations. What we are now working on is to enhance trade.
In order to enhance trade, it needs what to trade, who trades, the trading infrastructure, the legal infrastructure, and the financial flows between the two countries,” he said.
In March this year, the country’s trade promotion body ZimTrade signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with its Russian counterpart to formalise trade mechanisms. According to Minister Murwira, under the MoU, efforts are underway to establish warehousing systems in both countries to facilitate the exchange of goods.
He said some of the products identified for enhanced exports to Russia include diamonds and tropical agricultural foodstuffs.
“Zimbabwe is a tropical country, which means we produce tropical goods besides the mining, which has nothing to do with the weather.
But when it comes to agronomic products or agricultural products, we have citrus, we have all sorts of tropical vegetables, fruits, and grains, which we can exchange with the Russian Federation.
“But at the same time, we are a mining country. The mining, the minerals per capita in Zimbabwe is very high.
“It is the highest in the world, and the Russian Federation is also very good at it.
“That’s why we are working with the diamond giant in Russia, in Zimbabwe, to make sure that we enhance economic trade between our two countries.
“So, the issue is to improve trading infrastructure so that we are able to trade.”
Moscow was buzzing with activity yesterday as Heads of State from around the world trooped in for the commemoration.
The event will be closely watched for geopolitical cues, as leaders from allied nations — including China, Central Asian states, and African partners — gather in Red Square. Security in Moscow has been tightened, with thousands of troops and military vehicles set to parade alongside modern missile systems.
