PICTURES: Mnangagwa flies as Zimbabwe burns, General CHIWENGA takes over

President Emmerson Mnangagwa left the capital this morning for a 4-nation visit of Eastern Europe to deepen and strengthen economic cooperation between Zimbabwe and those countries.

The visits will consolidate and solidify the engagement processes that the President has outlined as the focus of Zimbabwe in the Second Republic while also providing an opportunity to transform the excellent political ties into mutually beneficial economic ties.

The President is being accompanied by the Minister of Mines and Mining Development Winston Chitando, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development Professor Mthuli Ncube, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement Retired Air Chief Marshal Perrance Shiri, the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Dr John Mangudya and Deputy Chief Secretary in the President’s Office responsible for communication Cde George Charamba and senior government officials.

He was seen off at the Robert Mugabe International Airport by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga government ministers, service chiefs and senior government officials.

The President and his delegation’s first stop will be Moscow in Russia where he is expected to address the Chamber of Commerce there and highlight investment opportunities in Zimbabwe under the Zimbabwe is open for business mantra.

The highlight of the Russia visit will be his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin where they will examine areas of interest that include mining and agriculture.

In Belarus, President Mnangagwa will focus on mining and agricultural equipment, having already agreed to cooperate in those areas and Zimbabwe is already benefitting from mining equipment and cooperation in the energy sector.

In Azerbaijan, the two countries will explore cooperation in the tobacco, tourism and granite exports to Baku.

In Kazakhstan, Zimbabwe will explore possibilities of trade relations and cooperation in the mining sector as Kazakhstan has a wealth of mineral resources that it has exploited for the benefit of its country while Zimbabwe would like to export citrus fruit, coffee, tea and tobacco to Astana.

From the eastern countries, the President will proceed to the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland for his second appearance at the world economic stage.

Vice President Chiwenga is the Acting President.

— ZBC