Staff Reporter
The European Union and Zimbabwe held their 5th Partnership Dialogue yesterday where the two parties reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening partnership and cooperation.
Speaking during the session, Ambassador Jobst von Kirchmann, EU’s top diplomat said there is need to nurture a relationship based on trust, respect, and shared goals.
He said EU values Zimbabwe’s commitment to engaging as equal partners and looks forward to exploring concrete avenues for deepened cooperation.
“The European Union highly values this opportunity for dialogue and reaffirms our ambition to continue deepening the constructive partnership between Zimbabwe and the EU. This dialogue provides an essential platform for frank and constructive exchanges on matters of shared interest, while also addressing issues where our views may differ.
“An open and continuous dialogue enables us to foster mutual understanding and engagement, which is critical to a lasting partnership.
“We are not only here to exchange views but to explore concrete avenues where we can deepen cooperation for the benefit of both Zimbabwe and the European Union,” he said.
Key areas of discussion included economic development, trade and investment, climate change, human rights, governance, and regional and global issues.
The EU acknowledged Zimbabwe’s efforts to stabilise its economy and emphasized the need for continued economic reforms and anti-corruption efforts.
The partnership dialogue also highlighted the importance of promoting peace, sovereignty, and multilateralism in the face of global challenges, including Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Africa.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs and International Trade permanent secretary Albert Chimbindi said Zimbabwe is a friend to all and an enemy to none, remains open for business and is committed to strengthen, deepen and broaden co-operation with the European Union.
He said the dialogue aimed to foster sustainable development and cooperation between the two parties.
“This new Partnership Dialogue, offers prospects for constructive engagement on a number of areas, to foster sustainable development for our mutual benefit. With the benefit of hindsight, we should avoid the pitfalls of the past if we are to succeed in what we want to do.
“There is always need to have a shared understanding of the scope of the Dialogue, clarity on where we are coming from and the intended destination.
“At the outset, I wish to emphasize that the very idea of a partnership dialogue denotes common interests, shared values, mutual respect for each other and equality, these principles should underpin our engagement,” he said.
The EU and Zimbabwe have a long-standing relationship, with the EU providing significant development assistance to the country.
The EU’s cooperation with Zimbabwe is guided by the EU’s Multi-Annual Indicative Programme (MIP) for 2021-2027, which focuses on good governance, green economic growth, and social recovery.
