By Kwedu News
Outgoing Iranian ambassador Abbas Navazani and Ghanaian ambassador Alexander Ntrakwa paid courtesy calls on President Emmerson Mnangagwa at State House on Wednesday to bid him farewell.
Navazani reflected on his tenure, saying he was leaving Zimbabwe with “very fond memories and genuine connections.” He highlighted the success of his tenure, citing several high-level visits exchanged between senior officials from both Zimbabwe and Iran. “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 also mentioned the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) between the two countries in various fields, including politics, economics, and technology. He specifically highlighted the successful state visit of his late president, Dr. Ebrahim Raisi, to Zimbabwe, during which 11 MOUs were signed. “And so we are proud of the support of His Excellency (President Mnangagwa) to implement these MOUs in Zimbabwe,” he added.
Navazani also revealed plans to implement technological cooperation projects, including the establishment of a center of science and technology in Zimbabwe. “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,” he said.
Ntrakwa, on the other hand, expressed pride in facilitating the signing of the General Cooperation Agreement between Ghana 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,” he said.
Ntrakwa also mentioned that Ghana had planned to launch the inaugural Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation in October, but had to postpone it due to the impending general elections in Ghana.
“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.
