Staff Reporter
President Mnangagwa has described his recent meeting with the United Kingdom’s (UK) Minister of State in the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Andrew Mitchell as an opportunity to work on the full restoration of relations between Zimbabwe and Britain.
The President met Mitchell during his visit to the UK for the coronation of King Charles III over the weekend.
Writing on his Twitter handle yesterday, President Mnangagwa confirmed his meeting with Mitchell and said that they discussed on what steps Zimbabwe could take to develop relations with the UK.
“During my trip to London, I had the fantastic opportunity to sit down with the UK Minister for Africa, Rtd Hon Andrew Mitchell, for purposes of understanding what steps the UK thinks we must take to develop the relationship between the UK and Zimbabwe, this is an exciting opportunity for all of us,” tweeted President Mnangagwa.
Speaking at the burial of the late national hero, Cde Abraham Kabasa at the National Heroes Acre yesterday, the President informed that his recent visit to the UK was set to broaden the country’s trade and investment opportunities.
“Events such as my attendance of the coronation of King Charles III, over the weekend, as well as the recent hosting of Transform Africa Summit, coupled with the successful 63rd Zimbabwe International Trade Fair, are set to broaden our country’s trade, investment and people to people exchanges,” said the President.
Speaking at the same occasion, President Mnangagwa added that, at the international and continental level, the Second Republic was deepening economic diplomacy to leap frog the country’s present socio-economic development.
Political commentator, Terrence Chipwanya said that besides acting as a boost for the Second Republic’s engagement and re-engagement efforts, President Mnangagwa’s UK trip would also help unlock trade opportunities between Zimbabwe and the Western world, which dovetails with the country’s Vision 2030 and the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1).
Meanwhile, on the side-lines of the glitzy King Charles III coronation, the President held several meetings with potential investors and had high-level talks with the Commonwealth secretary-general, Mrs Patricia Scotland, in what was a key engagement in Zimbabwe’s plans to re-join the Club. Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to the UK, Colonel Christian Katsande (Retired), has since described the President’s attendance to King Charles III’s coronation as a sign of thawing relations between Harare and London.
