Staff Reporter
The year 2022 is set to end on a high note, as President Emmerson Mnangagwa has hinted on Zimbabwe’s intention to join the leading emerging economies bloc, the BRICS.
BRICS is the acronym for the leading emerging economies which are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The grouping has since expanded since its formation.
In his weekend column in The Sunday Mail, President Mnangagwa made overtures to join emerging economies that make up the BRICS bloc as part of the Second Republic’s engagement and re-engagement policy.
“It is this goal which is motivating us to make similar overtures to BRICS, with the ultimate objective of becoming a worthwhile member,” the President said.
President Mnangagwa also reiterated that Zimbabwe stands a better chance of profiting if the country was to belong to various groupings globally.
“Zimbabwe’s vastly improved rating in global circles is evident in how our candidature to various international bodies continues to succeed on the back of multinational support spanning across the ideological spectrum,” said the President.
President Mnangagwa’s ambitions to join BRICS come soon after the recent visit by the Commonwealth assessment team led by Prof Luis Franschesci. In its findings, the assessment team hinted that Zimbabwe is indeed ready to be re-admitted back into the Commonwealth.
In another separate occasion, the European Union (EU) and Zimbabwe Government also signed two milestone Financial Agreements which constitute the 2022 Annual Action Plan for the EU support to Zimbabwe under the 2021-2027 Multi Annual Indicative Programme.
The two agreements penned to paper are based on ‘Improving Health Outcomes for the Population of Zimbabwe’ (IHOPZ) where Zimbabwe will receive EUR41 million, and ‘Support to the Zimbabwean Electoral Process’ (SZEP) where the country will receive another EUR6 million.
These agreements have also been viewed as a herald of a healthy relationship between Zimbabwe and the EU.
Political analysts have also described the intention to join BRICS by the Second Republic as a bold and smart move as it would aid in creating markets for Zimbabwe’s upcoming iron and steel and potential oil and gas from Muzarabani.
