Zim, Cuba upscale ties

Blessings Chidakwa-Herald Reporter

Zimbabwe and Cuba are set to enhance cooperation with tangible investment already evident in the health and education sectors, the country’s new Ambassador to Cuba Mr Paul Chikawa has said.

Speaking after meeting President Mnangagwa at State House, Ambassador Chikawa said he was assigned to go to a friendly country with the instruction being not only to maintain the excellent relations, but to enhance them.

Ambassador Chikawa said with Cuba, the sky was the beginning and not even the limit as Zimbabwe would pursue common objectives and interests.

“We already cooperate with Cubans in the areas of education and health. There are projects that are already running and I want to give tribute to my predecessor and those who were there before him,” he said.

“On health, Zimbabweans will be seeing real, tangible projects that are already underway. I am only going to give my support wherever needed. On education, Bindura University is actually an offshoot of our programme where students went to Cuba for education soon after our independence.”

Ambassador Chikawa said he received his “instructions, blessings” from the President and is looking forward to doing the best under the umbrella of re-affirmation, engagement and re-engagement policy.

“What I can assure the Zimbabwean population is that under the leadership of President Mnangagwa reaffirmation, engagement and re-engagement is time that we scale to the greatest possible heights.

“In order to do that we want to do it with friends leaving no one behind but we also want to do it with those who might not have understood you yesterday as long as you state your case and stand by it,” he said.