Harare , (New Ziana) – Zimbabwe and Zambia have pledged to deepen cooperation in trade, defence, tourism, and agriculture as senior officials from both countries met in Harare on Wednesday for the Inaugural Zimbabwe–Zambia Bi-National Commission (BNC).
Opening the meeting, Zimbabwe’s Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Ambassador Albert Chimbindi, said the BNC would focus on addressing stalled projects and implementing key agreements between the two neighbouring states.
“Whilst there have been several positive steps noted, there are also signs that the Joint Commission fell short on achieving many of the agreed targets. Corrective measures are therefore urgently needed,” Ambassador Chimbindi said.
He called on sectoral chairs to identify bottlenecks and introduce robust systems for monitoring and evaluating programmes across sectors.
The BNC replaces the long-standing Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation (JPCC) and is designed to strengthen high-level coordination on bilateral issues ranging from trade and security to tourism and agriculture.
Ambassador Chimbindi highlighted progress in trade cooperation, citing ZimTrade’s recent acquisition of land in Kasumbalesa, Zambia, for the construction of a warehouse.
The facility is expected to improve trade in locally produced goods and agricultural equipment.
He encouraged Zambia’s Zambian Development Agency (ZDA) to pursue similar projects in Zimbabwe to balance trade and investment opportunities between the two countries.
The ambassador commended the 34th Session of the Joint Permanent Commission on Defence and Security, held in February 2025, for harmonising defence and security policies and activating joint operations.
He said this collaboration had strengthened border management and reinforced peace and stability in the region.
On tourism, Chimbindi noted progress in implementing the Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism Cooperation, following technical committee meetings held in Kariba and Livingstone earlier this year.
He said the shared Victoria Falls presented major opportunities for joint tourism promotion.
In agriculture, he said both countries—whose economies are largely agro-based—were expected to finalise and sign an MoU on Agricultural Cooperation during the BNC session.
The agreement aims to boost collaboration in research, production, and technology exchange.
Ambassador Chimbindi said the two-day meeting would review all outstanding agreements and update the Implementation Matrix to track progress.
“This Bi-National Commission affords us a valuable opportunity to review and evaluate our work to enhance the full and effective implementation of our joint decisions and programmes,” he said.
The meeting precedes the Ministerial and Heads of State sessions, expected to cement agreements reached by senior officials and outline a new roadmap for enhanced cooperation between Harare and Lusaka.
New Ziana
