Posted: 01.02.2023 18:00:00

Lukashenko's visit to Zimbabwe ended

The state visit of the President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, to Zimbabwe has ended today. At the airport, the Head of State was escorted off as solemnly as he had been greeted on the first day of the visit: with a company of the guard of honour, the performance of hymns, local dances and songs, BelTA reports with reference to the Pul Pervogo Telegram channel

On the last day of his visit, the Belarusian leader – together with the President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa – visited the famous Victoria Falls and a petting zoo. "An unstoppable power of this water flow could only be compared to the strength of the people of Zimbabwe," Aleksandr Lukashenko made a memorable note after getting acquainted with one of the main attractions of Zimbabwe.

The heads of state then held one-on-one talks.

As reported, the President of Belarus arrived in Zimbabwe on a state visit on January 30th, and Emmerson Mnangagwa met him personally at Harare Airport. The heads of state left the airport together in one car and continued to communicate during an informal dinner.

The official part of the presidents' talks took place on January 31st. Aleksandr Lukashenko and Emmerson Mnangagwa met in one-on-one and expanded formats (with participation of the delegation members). The two leaders also agreed on the implementation of investment and co-operation projects in various fields, which will become the basis for continued liaisons – ‘in the field of industry, trade, agriculture, energy, transport and mining’, as the Belarusian President noted. “We also agreed that these contracts and the agreements that we have reached today will become the basis for continuing our co-operation," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

Following the talks with the leader of Zimbabwe, the President of Belarus stressed Africa’s special role and place in the modern world, "Africa has already come to the fore, and there can be no prospects in the world at all without it. Resources are here, and people are becoming more educated every year. The latest technologies are coming to Africa, and the world cannot develop without it. There can be no planetary development without Africa. Therefore, all the powers of this world are present here: the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, the entire European Union, and so on. The future belongs to Africa.”

"That is why we're here. These are our friends. We have come to our friends. We are coming to agreements with them for the sake of our peoples. We are coming with peace. We are not coming as colonialists were once doing. We are bringing technologies here and training people to use them, we are preparing specialists," the Belarusian leader said, speaking about co-operation with the African continent.

In turn, the President of Zimbabwe thanked Belarus for its assistance and support, which have significant contributed to the solution of the food security issue in his country once and for all. "We are ready to be friends with Belarus and with all countries that share our approach. It cannot be that one country is a horse and the other one is a teamster. We are either all horses, or teamsters. We should all be in the same boat and look in one direction. Since our first meeting with Aleksandr Lukashenko, we have developed some kind of ‘chemistry’, realising that we share a single view, including with regard to the development of our countries. Since then, we have been friends, also working together for the benefit of our peoples," Emmerson Mnangagwa stressed.

With participation of the two leaders, a ceremony of handing over equipment of Belarusian manufacturers was held as part of the completion of the second phase of the Zimbabwean farm mechanisation programme and the start of the third phase of this programme. The event took place at the Zimbabwe Institute of Agriculture.

“I would like to thank the Americans and the entire Western world for imposing sanctions against us. Otherwise, not Belarusian tractors, but American and German ones would have stood in this vast field,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said during the ceremony, and his words were welcomed with thunderous applause. “You should remember: we are separated by considerable distances, but we are always ready to help you, we are ready to accept your help. We are ready to lend you a shoulder at any time, in any place – solving the most difficult problems and tasks," the Belarusian leader assured. He called on the people of Zimbabwe to remain united and wished everyone happiness, peace and kindness, as well as bread in every family.

During the visit, the Belarusian delegation members and representatives of the Zimbabwean side held business meetings and negotiations, and a bilateral business forum was organised.

photos: www.belta.by