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Gibson Nyikadzino Herald Correspondent
Despite the existence of illegal and cruel economic sanctions imposed by the West on Zimbabwe and the Islamic Republic of Iran, the two countries’ bilateral cooperation is deepening and witnessing growth in business exchanges, the country’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Abbas Navazani said recently.
Addressing delegates on the 45th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution’s triumph over the CIA-backed Pahlavi puppet dynasty in 1979, Ambassador Navazani said business interactions between the two countries have grown eightfold in the past two years.
The growth of the interactions has been necessitated by the presence of mutual bilateral exchanges, he said.
“The bilateral relations between the two countries are ever increasing despite the existence of the illegal and cruel sanctions against two countries. In this regard, Iran will always stand by the Government and people of Zimbabwe and we will definitely overcome these current economic challenges by working tirelessly together.
“Despite the maximum pressure and the wide range of sanctions, Iran’s exports to Africa increased dramatically in recent years. We are striving hard to improve trade and economic relations with Africa, especially with the friendly and brotherly country of Zimbabwe,” Ambassador Navazani said.
Efforts to promote business interaction between the two countries have been ramped up through the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) for economic and commercial contracts, agriculture and the medicine sector among others.
In his speech, Acting Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira said the increased cooperation between the two countries is reaffirmation of Iran’s importance to Zimbabwe’s matrix of the engagement and re-engagement drive across the globe.
He urged Iran to share its experiences with Zimbabwe in human skills capacitation development in various sectors using innovative technologies to modernise its capabilities and infrastructure.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran is part of this matrix and is equally encouraged to bring its foreign direct investment into Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe is in need of human skills capacitation development in various sectors, with a special focus on Science and Technology as well as the production and beneficiation of locally produced raw materials using innovative technologies.
“This is an area in which the Islamic Republic of Iran could share its experience in modernising our capabilities and infrastructure in various areas. The noticeable upward trend in our trade and economic engagements is a good sign of the potential the two countries have in expanding them in the various sectors of our economies,” said Prof Murwira.
Zimbabwe appreciated the common goals it shares with Iran at international fora and pledged to maintain that course for the creation of a just multipolar world where players are sovereign and free from bullying.
“Hegemony and bullying no longer have space in the modern-day governance of human affairs. Independent nations should work and support each other to enjoy greater freedom, which in our case we fought a bitter war to achieve,” added Prof Murwira.
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