Chronicle Editor
Wallace Ruzvidzo, Harare Bureau
IRANIAN Ambassador to Zimbabwe Abbas Navazani and Ghanaian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Alexander Ntrakwa yesterday paid farewell courtesy calls on President Mnangagwa following the conclusion of their missions.
In separate interviews after their closed-door meetings with the President at State House in Harare, the Ambassadors said there was a deliberate effort to boost relations between their countries and Zimbabwe during their tenures.
Ambassador Navazani said Harare and Tehran have taken relations to the next level as evidenced by reciprocal high-level visits to either country and the signing of many memoranda of understanding.
“We reviewed our bilateral relations, and really I leave with fond memories of collaboration and co-operation and genuine connections we have formed with our colleagues in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade and State House,” he said.
“We had lots of achievements, we exchanged high-ranking official delegations to Iran, such as Her Excellency the First Lady and Vice- President Dr (Constantino) Chiwenga and recently Vice-President Cde (Kembo) Mohadi and ministers.
“We had several MoUs signed between the two countries in a variety of fields including politics, economics, and technology.”
Ambassador Navazani added that a political and economic joint commission was held in Iran, while there was a successful State visit by Iran’s late President, Dr Ebrahim Raisi and his delegation to Zimbabwe.
“The two countries, during this State visit, signed 11 MoUs in a variety of fields, especially about science and technology and medicine,” he said.
Iran is now considering setting up a science and technology centre in Zimbabwe, said the top diplomat.
He added that President Mnangagwa has been instrumental in furthering relations between Harare and Tehran.
“We are proud of the support of His Excellency to implement these MoUs in Zimbabwe. The progress is well and fortunately, in the near future, we will find very good progress in our relations in the years ahead.
“Yes, following some exchange delegations about technology and science, the Honourable Minister visited the sites in Iran, the tractor company and our knowledge-based company activities in Iran.
“As you know, in Iran there are 8 000 knowledge-based companies active in different fields of technology and science. So we would like to implement a centre of science and technology.
“We will call it the House of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe and we will follow it up, and we will have close co-operation with the Zimbabwean knowledge-based companies in a variety of fields of science and technology,” said Ambassador Navazani.
On his part, Ambassador Ntrakwa said a Joint Permanent Commission on Co-operation (JPCC) between the two countries was on the cards.
He said the JPCC had been scheduled to be established last October but it had to be postponed as Ghana is in its election period, with voting set for December 7.
“The major takeaways from Zimbabwe are that we look back at the bilateral regime we have, the bond of friendship that we have established over the years, and the fact that during my time in office, we have been able to sign a general co-operation of agreement in June 2023 in Accra, when President Mnangagwa visited Accra, for the Afreximbank annual meeting,” he said.
“As we speak, we have 27 memoranda of understanding that are with my side of government, that we are considering.
“In fact, we wanted to launch the inaugural Joint Permanent Commission of Co-operation in October in Ghana, but because of the impending elections we have in Ghana, we have to slow down, and it is likely to take place in the first quarter of next year.”
Ambassador Ntrakwa said he leaves Zimbabwe with joy and hope that Harare and Accra are scaling dizzy heights in broadening bilateral relations.
The furthering of relations between Zimbabwe and the two countries is testament of the successes being recorded under the engagement and re-engagement drive of the Second Republic.
Online Reporter