By Wallace Mawire
The Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe and the European Union have taken steps to reinforce their political and economic partnership during their formal Partnership Dialogue held in Harare under the auspices of the Samoa Agreement.
The meeting focused on key areas of cooperation, including trade, investment, peace and security, climate action, and development, as well as on the Structured Dialogue on arrears clearance and debt resolution and its economic, good governance and land issues tracks.
The Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe and the European Union convened their Partnership Dialogue in Harare, affirming their commitment to strengthening political and economic cooperation.
The meeting was co-chaired by Ambassador Albert Chimbindi, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, and Ambassador J. von Kirchmann of the European Union.
They were joined by Senior Government Officials from different Ministries as well as by Ambassadors and Heads of Mission from France, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Romania, and Portugal, along with the Chargees d’Affaires of Spain, Sweden, and The Netherlands, and the Deputy Head of Mission of Belgium and the Political Officer from Denmark.
The Partnership Dialogue facilitated frank and constructive exchanges, reflecting the long-standing relations between the two entities. The discussions covered shared interests, while also exploring opportunities for enhanced collaboration.
A wide range of important issues were discussed, including Zimbabwe’s chairmanship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and regional, continental and international peace and security. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to promoting peace, stability, and multilateral cooperation.
Trade and investment were highlighted as key drivers for growth, with both parties exploring ways to strengthen economic ties and create a more conducive environment for business.
Benefiting from privileged quota- and duty-free access to the EU’s 27 countries, Zimbabwe and the EU agreed to work towards unlocking the potential for increased trade.
Both parties reiterated their commitment to continued engagement in order to deepen the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).
In addition, the EU announced plans to mobilise European companies and organise a business event early next year, aimed at boosting investments in close collaboration with the Government of Zimbabwe and the business community.
The Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe noted that the EU had removed most of the sanctions it imposed on the country, and reiterated the call for the removal of the remaining sanctions on the Zimbabwe Defence Industries.
The EU reaffirmed its openness to continued dialogue on the matter.
Regarding climate change, and particularly the negative impact of the El Niño-induced drought, the EU highlighted its initiatives under the Climate-Smart Agriculture Team Europe Initiative.
It also announced the mobilization of an additional USD 6.6 million through its Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO) to mitigate the impact of the drought.
The Government of Zimbabwe expressed appreciation for the pledges made by the European Union towards mitigating the impacts of climate change and implored the EU countries to own up to pledges made at the Conference of Parties at the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change, to finance capacity building, adaptation and resilience building.
Regarding Zimbabwe’s economic recovery efforts, particularly the
Arrears Clearance and Debt Resolution process, discussions focused on the three tracks of the Dialogue. The Government of the Republic of Zimbabwe and the EU reiterated their commitment to continue participating in the Structured Dialogue Process.
Development cooperation was also a key topic, with the EU outlining its support for Zimbabwe’s national priorities. Zimbabwe welcomed the EU’s comprehensive development portfolio under the Global Gateway and its two “Team Europe Initiatives” on gender equality and women’s empowerment, and on greener and climate-smart agriculture.
The Dialogue concluded with both parties reaffirming their commitment to strengthening their partnership and collaboration on areas of mutual interest. They agreed to hold the next Partnership Dialogue at a mutually agreed date to be communicated via diplomatic channels within the next six months.
