The state visit of the President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, to Zimbabwe has concluded. The Head of State was personally seen off at the airport of this country by the President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa. The ceremony was as solemn as the reception on the first day of the visit – with a guard of honour, the performance of anthems, and local flavour – dances and songs, BELTA reports, citing the Telegram channel "Pool of the First".
As a gift from the leader of Zimbabwe, Aleksandr Lukashenko received a photo album with memorable moments of the current visit. "Efficient work," the Belarusian leader praised. "I'll take it."
On the last day of the visit, the Belarusian leader, together with the President of Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, visited the famous Victoria Falls and a contact zoo. "The unstoppable power of the water flow is comparable to the strength of the people of Zimbabwe," – this is the memorable note left by Aleksandr Lukashenko after familiarising himself with one of Zimbabwe's main attractions.
Subsequently, the heads of both states held negotiations without the presence of the press and cameras.
As reported, the President of Belarus arrived in Zimbabwe for a state visit on January 30. He was personally met at Harare Airport by Emmerson Mnangagwa. The heads of state left the airport in the same car and continued their communication during an informal dinner.
The official part of the presidents' negotiations took place on January 31. Aleksandr Lukashenko and Emmerson Mnangagwa met one-on-one and in an expanded format – with the participation of delegation members from both sides, and also signed a number of bilateral documents, agreeing on the implementation of investment and cooperation projects in various fields, which will form the basis for the continuation of cooperation. "In the fields of industry, trade, agriculture, energy, transport, and mining. We also agreed that these contracts and our agreements, which we have reached today, will form the basis for the continuation of our cooperation," said Aleksandr Lukashenko.
Following negotiations with the leader of Zimbabwe, the President of Belarus emphasized the special role and place of Africa in the modern world. "Africa has long since awakened. Without Africa, there can be no prospects for the world at all. It has resources, its people are becoming more educated every year, and the latest technologies are coming here. The world cannot develop without Africa," the Belarusian leader stated. "Without it, there can be no global development. That is why all the powers that be are here: the USA, China, Russia, Great Britain, the entire European Union, and so on. The future belongs to Africa."
"That is why we are here. These are our friends. We have come to friends. We are making agreements with them for the sake of our peoples. We come in peace. We are not coming as the colonialists once did, as they seized and exploited people. We are bringing technologies here and training people in them, preparing specialists," the Belarusian leader noted, speaking about cooperation with the countries of the African continent.
In turn, the President of Zimbabwe thanked Belarus for the assistance and support, which have become a significant factor for his country to resolve the issue of food security 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 the horse and another is the driver. We are either all horses together, or all drivers. We must all be in the same boat and look at things the same way. Since our first meeting with Alexander Lukashenko, we have developed a certain 'chemistry.' And we realized that we look at things, at the development of our countries, in the same way. Since then, we have been friends and working together for the benefit of our peoples," emphasized Emmerson Mnangagwa.
With the participation of the leaders of the countries, a ceremony was held on January 31 for the handover of equipment from Belarusian manufacturers as part of the completion of the second phase of the program for the mechanization of farms in Zimbabwe and the launch of the third phase of the program. The event took place at the Zimbabwe Agricultural Institute.
"I want to thank the Americans and the entire Western world for imposing sanctions against us. Otherwise, this vast field would be occupied not by Belarusian tractors, but by American and German ones," said Alexander Lukashenko during the ceremony. The participants of the event supported his thesis with stormy applause. "You must remember: considerable distances separate us, 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, anywhere, solving the most complex problems and tasks," the Belarusian leader assured. He called on the people of Zimbabwe to maintain unity and wished everyone happiness, peace and prosperity, as well as bread on their tables.
During the visit, business meetings and negotiations were also held between members of the Belarusian delegation and representatives of the Zimbabwean side, and a bilateral business forum took place.
Source: belta.by