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Lukashenko concludes visit to Zimbabwe

02.02.2023

The state visit of Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko to Zimbabwe is over. The Belarusian president was seen off at the airport by Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa personally. The farewell ceremony was just as solemn as the welcoming ceremony - with a guard of honor, the performance of anthems and traditional dances and songs, BelTA informs citing the Pul Pervogo Telegram channel.

As a gift from the leader of Zimbabwe, Aleksandr Lukashenko received a photo album capturing memorable moments of the visit. “That was done very quickly. I'm taking it,” the Belarusian leader said.

On the last day of the visit Aleksandr Lukashenko and Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa visited the famous Victoria Falls and a petting zoo. “The extraordinary power of this water flow is comparable to the strength of the people of Zimbabwe,” Aleksandr Lukashenko left such a note after visiting one of the main attractions of Zimbabwe.

After that, the heads of state held talks in a private setting without cameras.

A reminder, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko arrived in Zimbabwe on a state visit on 30 January. The Belarusian leader was greeted by Emmerson Mnangagwa at the airport. Aleksandr Lukashenko and Emmerson Mnangagwa left the airport in the same car and continued communication at an informal dinner.

The official part of the talks between Aleksandr Lukashenko and Emmerson Mnangagwa took place on 31 January. The heads of state met one-on-one and were joined by members of the delegations later. They signed a number of bilateral agreements and agreed to implement investment projects in various fields, which will become the basis for the further cooperation. “In manufacturing, trade, agriculture, energy, transport and mining. We have also agreed that these contracts and the arrangements that we have reached today will become the basis for continuing our cooperation,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

Following the talks with the Zimbabwean leader, the Belarusian president highlighted the special role and place of Africa in the modern world. “Africa woke up a long time ago. The world has no future without Africa. It has the resources, increasing competencies, and the latest technologies. The world cannot move forward without Africa,” the Belarusian leader said. “Without Africa, there can be no development. Therefore, all the powers-that-be are here: the United States, China, Russia, the UK, the entire European Union and so on. The future belongs to Africa.”

“This is why we are here. You are our friends. We sign agreements for the sake of our peoples. We are a peaceful nation. We are not coming here the way the colonialists once did. We are bringing technology and we are training specialists,” the Belarusian leader said talking about cooperation with the countries of the African continent.

For his part, the president of Zimbabwe thanked Belarus for help and support, which became a significant factor in helping the country to ensure its food security. "We are willing to be friends with all countries that share our approach. It cannot be that one country is a horse and another is a drover. We are either all horses or all drovers. We should be in the same boat and have the same vision," the Zimbabwean leader stressed. "We have developed some chemistry since the first meeting. We realized that we see things and the way forward for our countries the same way. Since then, we have been friends and have been working together for the benefit of our peoples," Emmerson Mnangagwa said.

On 31 January, the leaders of the countries took part in a ceremony to hand over Belarusian farm equipment as part of the completion of the second phase of the farms mechanization program in Zimbabwe and the launch of the third phase of the program. The event was held at the Zimbabwe Institute of Agriculture.

"I would like to thank the United States and the entire Western world for the sanctions. Otherwise, these would not be Belarusian tractors on this huge field today but U.S. and German ones," Aleksandr Lukashenko said during the ceremony. "Though we are separated by thousands of kilometers but we are always ready to help you and to accept your help. We are ready to lend you a helping hand any time, anywhere, in solving the most complex problems and tasks," the Belarusian leader assured. He called on the people of Zimbabwe to stay united and wished everyone happiness, peace and good and also bread on the tables.

Business meetings and negotiations of members of the Belarusian delegation and representatives of Zimbabwe and a bilateral business forum was held as part of the visit.

Written by belta.by