Zim open to investors: Mzembi

Fidelis Munyoro Chief Reporter
Zimbabwe has heightened economic and diplomatic efforts to make the country the most attractive foreign investment destination, while keeping an open door policy for engagements, newly appointed Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Walter Mzembi has said. Speaking during a function on Thursday to mark the presentation of credentials for five new ambassadors to Zimbabwe, Dr Mzembi said President Mugabe directed him to seek rapprochement and re-engagement with the country’s erstwhile friends.

The function was attended by the new ambassadors Mr Cho Jai-Chel of South Korea, Mrs Barbara Van Hellemond of the Netherlands, Mr George Marcantonatos of Greece, Mr Rene Cremonese of Canada and Mrs Janet Bessong Odeka of Nigeria. “I have been mandated, going forward, to seek and open new frontiers,” said Dr Mzembi.

“We will be on the global market places and we can only succeed with the diplomatic thrust if we put our citizens on the agenda and integrate them. They are vibrant and an essential element for turning around the economy.” Dr Mzembi said the country boasted a vibrant Diaspora that was critical in the country’s economic development.

“We will be seeking to reconnect with them and facilitate their participation in the economic activities that will be taking place in the country and if you add up the three thrusts (rapprochement, re-engagement and opening new frontiers), they are going to integrate into an economic diplomacy that seeks to unlock value for the future,” he said.

Dr Mzembi said he would be embarking on a dynamic public diplomacy thrust where citizen diplomacy would play an active role. “As Foreign (Affairs) Minister, I will keep an open door policy in all our engagements,” he said.

“Please feel free to call on me before dispatching your reports to your respective capitals.” It is imperative, Dr Mzembi said, to outlaw hate speech if the country was to build bridges with other countries. “Hate speech is disastrous for nation building,” he said, adding: “We need to cultivate and inculcate a culture of love by bringing our people close to each other as possible.”

Diplomacy entailed dialogue, hence the need to keep dialogue going at all times, said Minister Mzembi. All the new diplomats have pledged to continue nurturing bilateral relations between their countries and Zimbabwe.