Chronicle EditorZvamaida Murwira in Tehran, Iran
BACKED by their citizens, Zimbabwe and Iran have withstood Western sanctions, and the two countries will continue to collaborate for the development of their nations to overcome the embargo.
This came out during a meeting held by Vice President Dr Constantino Chiwenga and Iranian First Vice President Dr Mohammad Reza Aref at the latter’s palace yesterday in Tehran.
VP Chiwenga is in Iran, leading a Zimbabwean delegation participating in the Iran Africa Economic Conference, which aims to deepen co-operation between the Asian country and African nations.
Briefing Zimbabwean journalists soon after their meeting, the two leaders pledged to enhance their co-operation in various facets of the economy to continue withstanding illegal sanctions imposed by the United States of America and Western countries. VP Chiwenga said they will soon convene a Joint Permanent Commission between Zimbabwe and Iran to explore further areas of co-operation.
“You know, our relations with Iran started many decades ago, many years ago. We have come to strengthen those relations. That is the first objective of our visit. Secondly, we were discussing issues raised by Iranian President (Mosoud Pezeshkian) when he opened the third edition of the Iran-Africa conference, where he focused on co-operation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Zimbabwe. You are aware we have got a Permanent Joint Commission where we discuss co-operation in a number of areas,” said VP Chiwenga.
In response, Dr Aref said it was critical to note that both Zimbabwe and Iran waged a war to attain their independence, and sanctions imposed on the two countries are part of battles that they have to endure and repel.
“For our country, we had a revolution in order to get our own freedom and independence. Also, you fought your battle against colonialism. So, for about decades, the two countries have been under siege. We are backed by our own people. Actually, it is the people of our country who are supporting us as their governments in terms of fighting against those imperialistic and arrogant powers in order to prevent them from bullying other nations.
“We have had good experiences in terms of how to circumvent the sanctions. So, during the past couple of decades, we have had achievements in various areas, including agriculture, industry and technology. We are willing to share our experiences in these areas with your country. We have had good talks with Honourable Vice President (Dr Chiwenga).
“We concluded that we have to somehow activate the Joint Permanent Commission, so that through that, we would be able to increase the level of our cooperation in other areas, just as we have the highest level of political relations. We have agreed to provide all our experiences and advancements to the friendly and brotherly country of Zimbabwe,” said Dr Aref.
Earlier on, VP Chiwenga toured the Iranian exhibition centre, where he called for greater collaboration between Zimbabwe and Iran so that the two countries can benefit from their natural endowment, particularly in the mining and other extractive industrial sectors. He said this in an interview soon after touring the Iran Exhibition Centre, where Tehran is showcasing its export potential during the ongoing Iran Expo.
Vice President Chiwenga is accompanied by Deputy Ministers in the following Ministries: Mines and Mining Development, Engineer Caleb Makwiranzou; Industry and Commerce, Raj Modi; Lands, Agriculture, Water, and Rural Resettlement, David Marapira; Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, Simelisuzwe Sibanda; and Permanent Secretary of Health and Child Care, Dr Aspect Mawunganidze, among other dignitaries.
In an interview soon after the tour, VP Chiwenga said he was excited with the quality of products he saw being exhibited, adding that what he saw gave impetus to greater collaboration between the two countries.
“I am actually happy that our private sector and our parastatals have also joined us. We have got the various ministries that have accompanied me. We have got Deputy Minister Makwiranzou, who is in the Mines and Mining Development Ministry. And so far, what we have seen is impressive.
“We are trying now to bring in the synergies between our two countries, our two mining ministries, to see what it is that we would want from the Iranian companies, what they are producing, which areas can we bring to Zimbabwe, so that they can either establish or we can also buy certain things that would upgrade our mining industry,” said VP Chiwenga.
Some of the stands he visited deal with mining equipment, medical supplies, energy, among others. Earlier, VP Chiwenga attended the official opening of the Iran Expo, where he was accompanied by Defence Minister Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri and senior Government officials and representatives of the private sector.
Officially opening the Expo, Iranian leader President Mosoud Pezeshkian said his country was committed to having a prosperous world anchored on peace, security, and development.
“We do not want terrorism and trampling of the rights of others. We also want to register our readiness for co-operation. We want to develop our relations and benefit from our resources,” he said.
Last night, VP Chiwenga addressed a conference meant to review the Iran Africa conference, which preceded a dinner hosted for conference delegates. In his address, he expressed Zimbabwe’s condolences on a fire explosion where some people were killed and hundreds injured at the weekend, at the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, more than 1 000 kilometres south of Tehran.
In 2023, President Mnangagwa and his then Iranian counterpart, Ebrahim Raisi, superintended over the signing of 13 Memoranda of Understanding in Harare in different sectors that include agriculture, mining, pharmaceutical, tourism, among other areas.
President Mnangagwa’s administration is pushing the modernisation and industrialisation agenda in line with its thrust to attain an upper-middle-class income economy by 2030.
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