News / National
Britain's Charm Offensive - as Zim, West mend relations
03 Oct 2014 at 06:22hrs | Views
THE British government will this month send a trade delegation to Zimbabwe in a bid to explore possible areas of investment, a State controlled publication reported today.
The British government has in the past been critical of the Zimbabwe government especially Zanu PF for a plethora of human rights violations including illegal farm invasions and politically-motivated violence.
This has seen the west imposing economic sanctions including travel restrictions to Zimbabwe which have had disastrous effects on the country's economy.
If the trade deals between Zimbabwe and Britain materialize, this will add more partners to the economically embattled country which has in the past adopted a Look East Policy in a bid to end its economic woes.
Recently China and Russia signed multi-billion-dollar deals in various sectors, with Zimbabwe in August and September respectively in line with the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim Asset).
The Chinese deals were mainly in infrastructure, energy and agriculture, while the over $3 billion deals signed by the Russians were concentrated in the mining sector, especially the extraction of platinum.
New British ambassador Catriona Laing told Mugabe in a closed meeting yesterday the British's desire to mend trade relationships with Zimbabwe arguing that the British government had only imposed travel restrictions and not economic sanctions to Zimbabwe.
She said the new development was inspired by the need to support Government's economic blueprint, the Zim Asset.
"For the first time in many years, we are sponsoring an official trade delegation to Zimbabwe at the end of October," she told journalists after the meeting with Mugabe
"A number of different companies will be coming here to look at areas in energy and infrastructure, for example. So, I think that's a first very positive step forward, " Laing was quoted by the Herald.
The British government has in the past been critical of the Zimbabwe government especially Zanu PF for a plethora of human rights violations including illegal farm invasions and politically-motivated violence.
This has seen the west imposing economic sanctions including travel restrictions to Zimbabwe which have had disastrous effects on the country's economy.
If the trade deals between Zimbabwe and Britain materialize, this will add more partners to the economically embattled country which has in the past adopted a Look East Policy in a bid to end its economic woes.
Recently China and Russia signed multi-billion-dollar deals in various sectors, with Zimbabwe in August and September respectively in line with the Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio-Economic Transformation (Zim Asset).
The Chinese deals were mainly in infrastructure, energy and agriculture, while the over $3 billion deals signed by the Russians were concentrated in the mining sector, especially the extraction of platinum.
New British ambassador Catriona Laing told Mugabe in a closed meeting yesterday the British's desire to mend trade relationships with Zimbabwe arguing that the British government had only imposed travel restrictions and not economic sanctions to Zimbabwe.
She said the new development was inspired by the need to support Government's economic blueprint, the Zim Asset.
"For the first time in many years, we are sponsoring an official trade delegation to Zimbabwe at the end of October," she told journalists after the meeting with Mugabe
"A number of different companies will be coming here to look at areas in energy and infrastructure, for example. So, I think that's a first very positive step forward, " Laing was quoted by the Herald.
Source - Herald
