Zimbabwe and India sign 6 agreements

Zimbabwe and India today signed six signed agreements, including on mining, Information and communications technology (ICT), visa waiver and traditional medicine as Vice President Venkaiah Naidu met Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his deputy Kembo Mohadi and held wide-ranging talks here.

Naidu arrived in Zimbabwe last night on the second leg of his six-day three-nation tour to Africa, which aims at deepening India’s strategic cooperation with Botswana, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

During a delegation-level talks held between Naidu and his Zimbabwean counterpart, five memorandums of understanding (MoUs), including on mining, visa waiver, traditional medicine, broadcasting, and one action plan on ICT were signed.

“MoUs were signed between the two countries on cooperation in the field of arts, culture and heritage; traditional systems of medicine and homeopathy,” India’s secretary for economic relations in the Ministry of External Affairs TS Tirumurti said.

India also accepted Zimbabwe’s request to supply 10 ambulances to the African nation.

“India will also give life-saving drugs to Zimbabwe,” Tirumurti said.

The Prasar Bharati and the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation signed an MoU on “cooperation and collaboration in broadcasting”.

The two sides also signed an MoU in “geology, mining and mineral resources”.

“An agreement was signed between India and Zimbabwe on the reciprocal exemption of visa requirements for holders of diplomatic passports,” Tirumurti said.

“The two countries also signed an action plan for cooperation in Information and Communication Technology (ICT),” he added.

The leaders of the two countries also discussed on a wide range of areas, including defence, security, mining, capacity building, health and agriculture, the Vice President’s office tweeted.

Earlier in the day, Naidu also met Zimbabwe President Mnangagwa and discussed bilateral cooperation on all fronts.

Mnangagwa said Naidu’s visit will take India-Zimbabwe relations to the next level.

The President thanked India for being “supportive during Zimbabwe’s period of isolation” and lauded the Asian nation for “refusing to join other countries in imposing sanctions” against it, Tirumurti said.

According to Indian Embassy in Harare, there are about 9 000 Zimbabweans of Indian origin, who are predominantly from the province of Gujarat.

The expatriate Indian community in Zimbabwe is very small numbering around 500 members. Some of them are on long term business or work permits, while most are professionals engaged in IT, accountancy and banking sector.- PTI

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