Staff Reporter

The Belarusian President, Alexander Lukashenko set to visit Zimbabwe next week as the two countries seek to strengthen diplomatic ties.

In a statement today, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade spokesperson, Livit Mugejo said that the Belarusian President will land in the country on the 30th of January 2023 and will meet President Mnangagwa.

The President of the Republic of Belarus, His Excellency Alexander Lukashenko, will pay a State visit to Zimbabwe from 30 January to 1 February 2023.During the State visit, H.E President Lukashenko is scheduled to meet H.E President Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa. The visit is historic as it is the first such undertaking to a Sub Saharan African nation by President Lukashenko,” said Mugejo in a statement.

According to Mugejo, the visit by President Lukashenko is meant to strengthen the existing excellent relations between Zimbabwe and Belarus. The two countries have strong cooperation in political, economic, mining, agriculture and disaster risk management.

Mugejo added that several agreements were expected to be signed between Zimbabwe and Belarus. President Lukashenko and President Mnangagwa were expected to launch the Second Phase of the Zimbabwe Belarus Cooperation.

An International Relations analyst, Wilfred Guyo said that diplomatic relations between Belarus and Zimbabwe were first established on 16 April 1992 and blossomed along the way.

“Diplomatic relations between Belarus and Zimbabwe were first established on 16 April 1992 and blossomed along the way. The legal base of bilateral relations is actively developing to be a cordial relation. Belarus considers Zimbabwe as a key partner in the region and the visit of President Lukashenko will help strengthen diplomatic ties between the two countries,” said Guyo.

Guyo added that Zimbabwe benefited a lot from its diplomatic ties with Belarus and said the relations should be preserved as they are beneficial to the country’s development.