Wallace Ruzvidzo Zimpapers Reporter
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday received Letters of Credence from two new ambassadors and reaffirmed Zimbabwe’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, expanding trade and building mutually beneficial partnerships across the globe.
The diplomats are Ambassador Kwang-Heon Doh of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) and Ambassador Jiri Kyrian of the Czech Republic.
Their accreditation comes as Zimbabwe continues to deepen its engagement and re-engagement drive, anchored on its foreign policy principle of being a friend to all and an enemy to none.
Soon after receiving the letters of credence, the President met a delegation from Algeria’s Agency for International Cooperation, Solidarity and Development and Ethiopia’s outgoing Ambassador to Zimbabwe who came to bid farewell.
Writing on his micro-blogging platform X official page, after receiving the two diplomats’ Letters of Credence, President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe stood ready to champion mutually beneficial cooperation with all countries.
“Today at State House in Harare, I was pleased to receive Letters of Credence from two incoming envoys to the Republic of Zimbabwe: His Excellency Mr Kwang-Heon Doh, Ambassador-Designate of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) His Excellency Mr Jiri Kyrian, Ambassador-Designate of the Czech Republic. Guided by our foreign policy of engagement and re-engagement—being a friend to all and an enemy to none—
Zimbabwe remains committed to strengthening bilateral relations, expanding trade, and fostering mutually beneficial partnerships across the globe.
“I wish both Ambassadors a successful and productive tenure in our great nation. Zimbabwe is open for business,” he said.
The arrival of the two ambassadors is expected to provide further impetus to Zimbabwe’s efforts to broaden diplomatic cooperation, promote trade and investment, and explore new areas of collaboration with both countries.
Speaking to the media after presenting his credentials and holding a closed-door meeting with the President, Ambassador Doh said he had had a warm and productive meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between Zimbabwe and South Korea.
“I appreciate Zimbabwe’s principle of ‘A Friend to All and an Enemy to None’ and its emphasis on ‘Trade rather than Aid’ and ‘Zimbabwe is Open for Business ‘.”
“These priorities offer opportunities to build a more practical and mutually beneficial partnership,” he said.
The South Korean diplomat congratulated Zimbabwe on assuming the COMESA Chairmanship and on its election to the United Nations Security Council for the 2027-2028 term.
“Korea served on the Council in 2024-2025, and I expressed our willingness to share that experience and work closely with Zimbabwe on international issues,” he said.
Ambassador Doh said during his tenure he would promote trade and investment, including cooperation in critical minerals, mineral processing and value addition, among other areas.
“I also want to expand our agricultural cooperation, and strengthen education, technology and people-to-people exchanges. Above all, my goal is to turn the potential of our relationship into tangible results that benefit both countries. I look forward to working closely with the Government and people of Zimbabwe,” he said.
On his part, Czech Republic Ambassador Kyrian said he had come not only to work but also to gain a better appreciation of what Zimbabwe had to offer in terms of its tourist attractions and diverse culture.
“Well, first of all, I’m really happy to be here, and since my arrival I really feel welcome. Because all the people I have met were really very nice people, and this seems like a very nice country with very nice people.
“ And as I told His Excellency, Mr President, I have come first of all to work, but also to travel, because this is the first time I’m visiting your country, and I would like to see not just the capital city; I want to see the rest of the country as well and he gave me some tips on where to go and what to see including the most beautiful place to visit,” he said.
Ambassador Kyrian said during his tenure he would focus on exploring the two countries’ potential in trade and investment.
“We are very much interested in cooperation in the area of healthcare, for instance. We spoke about the partnership of universities, you know, academia, education, civil society. We spoke about mining. We spoke about energy.
“There’s plenty of potential here in Zimbabwe, and there’s plenty to bring back to the Czech Republic, to present to our companies, and to inform them about the opportunities in Zimbabwe,” he said.
The Czech diplomat said he was planning to bring a team in charge of trade and development to explore areas of cooperation in February next year.
“…and we will be speaking with representatives, first of all, you know, members of the Government of Zimbabwe, and speaking with other partners in the business area, to map, you know, the current situation, also taking into account the National Development Plan of Zimbabwe, to check where the priorities are and where they match with what we can offer, and we will come with solutions and hopefully we will be able to bring our businesspeople to Zimbabwe,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s foreign policy is fundamentally a pragmatic, economy-oriented strategy centered on the core principle of “being a friend to all and an enemy to none”.
Its core objective is to break international isolation through extensive engagement and re-engagement, attracting foreign investment and promoting trade, thereby serving domestic economic development and the improvement of people’s livelihoods
Following the presentation of credentials, the President welcomed Mr Halouz Abid, General Director of the Algerian Agency for International Cooperation, Solidarity and Development.
President Mnangagwa said during their productive discussions, both sides reviewed key developmental projects that reflect the deep, historic, and cordial bonds between Zimbabwe and Algeria.
“These initiatives include Algeria’s valued contributions toward: The Museum of African Liberation in Harare, preserving our shared continental heritage.
“The construction of a boarding school in Gokwe, investing directly in the education and future of our youth,” he wrote on his official X account.
President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe and Algeria shared “a proud legacy of solidarity” with the two countries committed to continued cooperation in various fields.
“We remain firmly committed to translating this brotherly relationship into tangible infrastructure and development that uplifts our peoples,” he said.
On his part, Mr Abid said Algeria was committed to continuously work with Zimbabwe, citing collaboration on the planned school construction and at the Museum of African Liberation.
“And these two projects reflect the friendship, the cooperation, and the
solidarity between our two countries.
“The roots of these relations go for decades, as you know,” he said.
Ambassador Rashid Mohammed, Ethiopia’s outgoing diplomat to Zimbabwe said during his tenure he had translated the two countries’ historical relations into practical cooperation in economic growth, trade, tourism, and aviation.
“So these days we have flights of Ethiopian airlines flying to three destinations in Zimbabwe; Vic Falls, Harare, and Buluwayo.
“And that is supporting the tourism sector of Zimbabwe and beyond, you know, the conventional diplomacy, I initiated something called Diplomatic Green Legacy, through which we planned to plant 8 million trees in one day all over Zimbabwe by using four million students, at least by tasking every student to contribute,” he said.
And through that programme, every year we have been planting 5 000 trees of exotic and fruit trees.”
The Ambassador said he had also collaborated with the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development in his capacity as a transport Engineer.
“ I tried my best to draft a road safety strategy for Zimbabwe, in collaboration with United Nations Resident Coordinator, WHO, and others.
“And that has already been submitted to the Ministry of Transport,” he said.
