Online Reporter
Gibson Nyikadzino
Zimpapers Politics Hub
The European Union is turning over a new chapter with Zimbabwe to deepen bilateral relations in various sectors of mutual interest, the bloc’s Head of Delegation, Ambassador Katrin Hagemann, said yesterday.
Addressing journalists in Harare ahead of Europe Day commemorations tomorrow, Ambassador Hagemann said the EU was working to intensify its engagement with Zimbabwe through focused efforts in areas such as agricultural resilience, biodiversity, arts and culture, among many others.
“There is very much a feeling of turning over a new chapter, with much more interest in reaching out to the EU and its member states. We are here to stay and we have good engagement in a variety of sectors. At the EU level, we are working on agricultural resilience and biodiversity, and we are also strong in the culture sector,” said Ambassador Hagemann.
Her remarks on engagement with Zimbabwe were supported and reinforced by German Ambassador Christopher Retzlaff, who indicated that many companies were keen on investing in Zimbabwe following years of progress in relations between Zimbabwe and the EU.
Ambassador Retzlaff said global shifts over the past few years have presented unique opportunities for African countries, including Zimbabwe.
“Over the last three years, we have seen some very good progress, especially in the deepening of economic ties between the EU and Zimbabwe. If you look at the bigger picture globally, the geopolitical and geo-economic shifts we have seen in recent years have created many unique opportunities for African countries, especially for Zimbabwe.
“A lot of companies in Europe are looking to diversify their production and supply chains, and they are increasingly turning to Africa, and Zimbabwe in particular, including from the perspective of German companies,” said Ambassador Retzlaff.
He said Zimbabwe’s potential to move into a “prominent positive position” to attract foreign investment is anchored in the country maintaining a stable investment framework.
The event was also attended by the Ambassadors of Greece, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and France.
