Moscow boosts ties with US-sanctioned African state

Russia and Zimbabwe have committed to stronger bilateral relations after the launch of a satellite aimed at bolstering agriculture in the latter country

The Russian Foreign Ministry held talks with Zimbabwean officials on Wednesday, during which the two sides agreed on expanding bilateral cooperation in a variety of areas, including trade, economy, and politics.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov met with Zimbabwean Foreign Minister Amon Murwira and Deputy Finance Minister David Mnangagwa.

“They discussed topical issues of further strengthening of traditionally friendly Russian-Zimbabwean relations with a focus on building up mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, economic and investment spheres,” the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.

The talks took place on the sidelines of the fifth session of the Zimbabwe-Russia Intergovernmental Commission for Trade, Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation in Moscow, which concluded on Thursday.

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During the three-day event, Murwira expressed satisfaction with the strengthening of cooperation between the two countries in accordance with the “high-level” agreements reached when Zimbabwean President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa visited Russia in 2019.

According to the landlocked nation’s Foreign Ministry, the Zimbabwean diplomat also met with representatives from the company KAMAZ, Russia’s largest automobile company and one of the world’s top heavy-duty truck manufacturers.

“They discussed how Zimbabwe may leverage KAMAZ to establish its presence in the African market, as well as how to collaborate through the Zimbabwean system to ensure that jobs are created in the country,” the ministry wrote on X.

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Zimbabwe, which has been under US and EU sanctions for more than two decades, has been exploring ways to diversify its economy and tackle several challenges, including food insecurity. In June, President Mnangagwa discussed his government’s intention to join BRICS with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, when both leaders also agreed to deepen existing “excellent” ties in areas such as security, humanitarian aid, education, and trade.

Earlier this week, Zimbabwe launched its second earth observation satellite, ZimSat-2, into orbit from Russia’s Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur Region. The satellite was designed and manufactured jointly by the former British colony’s National Geospatial and Space Agency and Russia’s Southwest State University.

The technology is expected to boost efforts in mineral exploration, urban planning, and agriculture by helping track crop health, yield forecasts, and nutrient deficiencies in a country where millions of people are facing hunger.