Chronicle EditorRichard Muponde
Zimpapers Politics Hub
ZIMBABWE’S Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Albert Ranganai Chimbindi, has been chosen as the chairperson of the Sadc Standing Committee of Senior Officials on the occasion of the meeting of the standing committee in Harare today.
In his acceptance speech, Ambassador Chimbindi said it was Zimbabwe’s utmost gratitude to the Sadc region to entrust the country with the responsibility of steering the work of “our Regional bloc for the next twelve months.”
“Allow me to extend my sincere appreciation to the outgoing Chairperson, Ambassador Nazaré José Salvador, for ably steering the agenda of SADC from August 2023 until the hand-over. I am fully aware of the responsibility bestowed on us by our Principals as their technical advisors. I count on the cooperation and support of the outgoing Chair as well as that of each and every one of our brothers and sisters from Member States and our Secretariat as I tackle this important duty that you have bestowed on me,” Ambassador Chimbindi said.
“We will fail and succeed together. As Chair, Zimbabwe stands ready to collaborate with all Member States and our cooperating partners as we intensify our efforts towards implementing our shared aspirations enshrined in our Regional blueprint, the Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan (RISD) 2020 to 2030.”
He said it is evident from the Annotated Agenda that while the region has registered progress across the various pillars of the regional integration agenda, a lot still needs to be done to address challenges.
“The agenda makes a clarion call for us to continue improving our transport, energy and digital infrastructure, among others, as these are essential enablers of both our integration agenda and sustainable economic development and ultimately the industrialized SADC that we want. We should, also, continue to lend our support to our brothers and sisters in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Mozambique given that a stable, peaceful and secure SADC is key to the upliftment of the lives and livelihoods of our people,” he said
Ambassador Chimbindi said in the SADC spirit and mutual Defence Pact, “an injury to one, is an injury to all of us.”
Online Reporter