Harare, (New Ziana)-Outgoing Ghananian and Iranian envoys on Wednesday paid courtesy calls on President Emmerson Mnangagwa at State House to bid him farewell. First to meet with President Mnangagwa was outgoing Iranian ambassador Abbas Navazani, followed by outgoing Ghanaian ambassador Alexander Ntrakwa.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Navazani said he was leaving Zimbabwe with very fond memories and genuine connections.
“We reviewed our bilateral relation, and really I live with fond memories of collaboration and cooperation and genuine connections we have formed with our colleagues in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade,” he said.
Navazani said his tenure was successful because several high level visits were exchanged between senior officials from both Zimbabwe and Iran. “And we had several MOUs (Memoranda of Understanding) signed between two countries in a variety of fields of political, economic and technology.
And also we hold a political and economic joint commission in Iran. “We had a very successful and fruitful state visit of my late president, Dr Ebrahim Raisi, and his delegation to Zimbabwe.
The two countries during this state visit signed 11 MOUs in a variety of fields, especially about science and technology and medicine. And so we are proud of the support of His Excellency (President Mnangagwa) to implement these MOUs in Zimbabwe, ” he said, adding technological cooperation projects are currently being implemented.
“As you know, in Iran there are 8 000 knowledge-based companies active in different fields of technology and science. So we would like to implement a center of science and technology. We call it the House of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe. And we will follow it and we will have close cooperation with the companies in Zimbabwe, knowledge-based companies in a variety of fields of science and technology.”
Also addressing the media after meeting with President Mnangagwa, Ntrakwa said he was proud to have facilitated the signing of the General Cooperation Agreement between his country and Zimbabwe.
“We signed it in June 2023 in Accra, when President Mnangagwa visited Accra. Now, as we speak, we have 27 Memorandums of Understanding that are with my side of government that we are considering.
“In fact, we wanted to launch the inaugural Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation in October in Ghana, but for the impending elections we have in Ghana, we had to slow down a bit, and it’s likely to take place in the first quarter of next year,” he said.
“So I am leaving Zimbabwe with a lot of joy and with a lot of hope that Zimbabwe and Ghana, we are scaling that bilateral relation we have since independence to another level.” Ghana will hold general elections on 7 December this year to elect the President and Members of Parliament.
Incumbent President Nana Akufo-Addo, having completed his constitutional term limits, is ineligible for re-election.
New Ziana