Harare, (New Ziana) – The Mid-Term Review of the 18th Session of the Zimbabwe-Zambia Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation (JPCC) ended on a high note on Thursday, with senior officials from the two countries reaffirming their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties across key sectors.
The end of the senior officials meeting will lead to the meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers from both countries later on Thursday.
Speaking at the close of the session, Zimbabwean permanent secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Albert Chimbindi hailed the meeting as notably productive, adding that it was conducted in a spirit of camaraderie befitting the excellent state of relations between the two neighbouring countries.
He expressed gratitude to his Zambian counterpart, Etambuyu Gundersen, for her effective leadership, as well as to the Zimbabwean ambassador to Zambia, Charity Charamba, and the Zambian chargé de’affaires to Zimbabwe, Nabulanga Natlasha, for their contributions to the success of the review.
Chimbindi also commended the tireless work of the sectoral committees and officials who charted the way forward during the meeting, whose deliberations covered a wide range of areas including political, diplomatic, governance, economic, trade, and socio-cultural cooperation.
He said the outcomes of the review serve as a roadmap to strengthen both bilateral and multilateral relations.
“In light of the unprecedented geopolitical developments, rising tariffs, and the decline in foreign aid that are disrupting trade and investment flows across the SADC region, it is in our national interests to optimise opportunities for mutual benefit,” he said.
He noted that both countries had set clear benchmarks and targets to ensure accountability to their principals, stressing the need for resilience and a united voice in advancing the development priorities of the Southern African region and the continent at large.
The session concluded with Ambassador Chimbindi officially handing over the outcomes of the meeting for consideration by the respective Ministers, underscoring the importance of implementing decisions that emerged from the review.
The Zimbabwe-Zambia JPCC remains a vital platform for deepening cooperation, enhancing trade and investment, and fostering stronger people-to-people ties between the two nations.
New Ziana
