Staff Reporter
Zimbabwe and Belarus have intensified efforts to deepen their bilateral economic cooperation, building on strong existing political ties.
A series of high-level exchanges took place this Tuesday as part of President Mnangagwa’s four-day official visit to Belarus, focusing on expanding trade, investment, technology transfer and media collaboration.
At the heart of the discussions was the ambition to elevate the partnership beyond conventional trade and into strategic industrial cooperation.
Zimbabwe is particularly keen on leveraging Belarus’ technological expertise in manufacturing agricultural machinery to boost local production.
In an interview with the media recently, ZimTrade Chief Executive Officer, Allan Majuru, highlighted that they are exploring opportunities for scientific and economic cooperation.
“Belarus has advanced technology and equipment that can greatly enhance the competitiveness of Zimbabwean industry. We are moving beyond importing machinery to establishing local assembly and manufacturing plants. For example, instead of continuing to import dairy machinery for small-scale farmers, we want to start producing it locally,” he said.
Belarus is a recognised global leader in agricultural machinery.
According to Mikalai Barysevich, Director General of the Belarus National Centre for Marketing, the country manufactures one in every ten tractors and one in every six harvesters used worldwide—a technological edge Zimbabwe hopes to harness.
“This is precisely what Zimbabwe needs. But our cooperation is not just one-way. We are also looking to import products from Zimbabwe. It must be a mutually beneficial partnership,” Barysevich noted.
Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister, Professor Mthuli Ncube, met with his Belarusian counterpart to discuss increasing bilateral investments.
“We are working on creating an enabling environment for investment, which presents a fantastic opportunity for both countries,” said Prof Ncube.
The cooperation is not limited to economics and agriculture.
Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere also toured the Belarusian Telegraph Agency (Belta), where he highlighted media as a critical area for collaboration.
“We are focusing on human capital development in the media and communications sector, embracing technological sovereignty with a shift from analogue to digital systems. We are also committed to defending media sovereignty and tackling social media imperialism,” Dr. Muswere said.
President Mnangagwa’s visit is expected to culminate in the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to formalise agreements across trade, investment, agriculture, technology and media sectors.
The Belarus engagement signals a strategic shift towards industrial transformation and inclusive development.
