by Grace Chekai
The engagement and re-engagement policy continues to bear fruits as the United Kingdom (UK) acknowledges that Zimbabwe has ratified the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the that country.
UK Ambassador to Zimbabwe Melanie Robinson posted on her Twitter handle yesterday, “Glad Zimbabwe has ratified the Economic Partnership Agreement with the UK. This ensures that Zimbabwe exporters continue to enjoy tariff and quota free access to the UK market.
“The UK supports Zimbabwean business and jobs for economic development.”
This development follows UK's exit from the 28-member European Union (EU) earlier this year.
Zimbabwe and other East and Southern Africa countries are signatories to a partnership agreement with the EU, called the East and Southern African countries agreement (ESA).The pulling out of UK from the EU block meant it can no longer trade with these African countries under this agreement.
Hence, a separate agreement was made to ensure that countries such as Zimbabwe continue to trade with UK.
Zimbabwe signed the EPA agreement on 31 January this year.
According to Article 1 of the agreement, the general objectives of the agreement include, “contributing to the reduction and eventual eradication of poverty through the establishment of a strengthened and strategic trade and development partnership consistent with the objective of sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals ,promoting regional integration, economic cooperation and good governance in the ESA States and promoting gradual integration of the ESA States into the world economy in conformity with their political choices and development priorities.”
The ratification of the EPA agreement with UK is in line with President Emmerson Mnangagwa's mantra of engaging and re-engaging the world in order to improve the economic welfare of the people of Zimbabwe.
In his inauguration speech at a packed 60 000-capacity National Sports Stadium on 24 November 2017, President Mnangagwa reassured foreign investors that his goal is to engage and re-engage with the world so as to revive Zimbabwe's economy.
