Staff Writer
Harare – Zimbabwe is taking its rightful place in the international community as seen by its recent election into leadership positions of various multi-national organisations, Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ambassador James Manzou, told a Parliamentary Committee on Tuesday.
Ambassador Manzou made the observation when he appeared before the Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Trade to give evidence on the ministry’s 2023 budget plans and an overview of the 2022 budget performance.
The Permanent Secretary added that the country’s re-engagement policy, which was set out by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in his inaugural speech as Head of State and Government in 2017, was bearing fruit as Zimbabwe re-integrated into the comity of nations.
“One of the priorities of the re-affirmation, engagement and re-engagement, particularly the re-engagement was to take Zimbabwe out of isolation and integrate Zimbabwe back into the community of nations as respectable country and I can say with confidence that Zimbabwe has come out of isolation. Zimbabwe is now an active, responsible and respectable member of the international community,” he said.
Ambassador Manzou highlighted that in August, Zimbabwe was elected Vice-President of the UN General Assembly, in addition to playing leading roles in various sub-committees of the global organisation. The country is also a member of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council.
“On top of that we had major developments with Zimbabwe now a member of the International Civil Aviation Organisation with over 148 countries voting in support of Zimbabwe; while Chief Fortune Charumbira is now the President of the Pan African Parliament … (R)ecently we had Mr Cosmas Zavazava in a hotly contested election where we had five contestants but he came out tops to be the Director of the International Development Bureau of the International Telecommunications Union,” he said.
The Secretary for Foreign Affairs added: “Clearly the support we have had in all these areas has risen and Zimbabwe is now integrated into the international community of nations but of course, we will continue with our re-affirmation, engagement and re-engagement exercise We are making progress with hour political engagement with the EU and we remain engaged with the US.”
Ambassador Manzou said the Ministry would continue with its re-engagement exercises until there was complete removal of sanctions imposed by the US and the EU.
President Mnangagwa has said Zimbabwe’s foreign policy goals are premised on being an enemy to none and a friend to all as the country seeks mutually beneficial relations across the world.
