The president of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, paid his first official visit to Russia on Monday, which will last for two days
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th January, 2019) The president of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, paid his first official visit to Russia on Monday, which will last for two days.The information on interstate relations between Russia and Zimbabwe is provided below.
Diplomatic relations between the Soviet Union and the Republic of Zimbabwe were established on February 18, 1981.
On January 24, 1992, Zimbabwe officially recognized Russia as a successor to the Soviet Union.
Russia and Zimbabwe are closely cooperating on the international scene based on the convergence or proximity of their positions on the most urgent international issues of our days.
On May 9, 2015, at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, then-President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe visited Moscow to participate in the celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. On May 10, the leaders of the two countries held a separate meeting in the Kremlin.
On July 27, 2018, Putin met with Mnangagwa on the margins of the BRICS summit in the South African city of Johannesburg.
In October 2017, Zimbabwean Senate President Edna Madzongwe took part in the work of the 137th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly in Russia's second largest city of St. Petersburg.
In June 2018, Zimbabwean National Assembly speaker Jacob Mudenda took part in an international forum devoted to the development of parliamentarism in Moscow.
In March 2018, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited Zimbabwe's capital of Harare, where he was received by Mnangagwa. Lavrov met with Zimbabwean First Vice President, then Defense and War Veterans Minister Constantino Chiwenga and held talks with his counterpart Sibusiso Moyo, who is also the international trade minister.
In August 2018, Chiwenga visited Russia to attend the closing ceremony of the International Army Games. During this visit, he also met with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Russian-Zimbabwean Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Trade, Scientific and Technological Cooperation is operating in order to develop and strengthen trade and economic cooperation.
In 2018, the two countries set up the Russia-Zimbabwe business Council.
In 2018, the trade between Russia and Zimbabwe totaled $53.1 million in 2017, with Russia's exports amounting to $2.5 million and imports amounting to $50.6 million in goods.
In January-September 2018, the trade between Russia and Zimbabwe totaled $31 million. Russian exports amounted to $1.5 million, while imports reached $29.5 million.
Russian exports to Zimbabwe include wood, pulp and paper products, machinery, equipment and vehicles. Russia's imports are represented mainly by food and agricultural products (coffee and tobacco).
Russian companies in Zimbabwe are engaged in diamond, gold and platinum mining.
The two countries also have a joint long-term project to develop the Darwendale platinum deposit, which is seen as the main driving force for the entire complex of trade, economic and investment relations.
Such Russian companies as KAMAZ Group of Companies, agricultural equipment company Rostselmash, mining company Uralchem, state geological exploration company ROSGEO and others are showing interest in entering the Zimbabwe market.
Zimbabwe, for its part, is interested in Russian investments in agriculture, mining, green technologies, transport infrastructure, health care and water supply system that will help the country cope with the economic crisis. Zimbabwe also hopes to strengthen military and technical cooperation with the Russian Federation.
Humanitarian cooperation between the two states is also actively developing. There are currently more than 160 Zimbabweans studying in Russian universities, including on a contract basis. The Russian Government allocated 70 state scholarships for Zimbabwe's applicants in the 2018-2019 school year to start or continue their education in the Russian higher education institutions.
In November 2018, Russia assisted Zimbabwe in fighting a cholera outbreak, which was registered in the country. The Russian Civil Defence, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disaster Ministry handed over to Zimbabwe a batch of medicines to fight the outbreak. The plans to send equipment to Zimbabwe to create mobile medical centers have also been announced.
