Japan invites Mugabe

Mr Kuzuyuke Nakane, a special envoy of the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, has delivered a special message to President Robert Mugabe inviting him to a state visit to his country in October.

Mr Nakane explained that his Prime Minister is impressed with President Mugabe's statesmanship and his leadership of the African Union (AU).

The Japanese envoy also extended an invitation to Mugabe to take part in the Japan-Africa Roundtable on Development Cooperation to be held on the sidelines of the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York later this month.

The roundtable will have leaders of the African regional groupings such as SADC, ECOWAS and the East African Community and others.

In an interview with the ZBC News after his meeting with President Mugabe, the Japanese envoy, Mr Nakane said bilateral discussions on investment also took centre stage with Zimbabwe inviting Japanese companies to come and invest.

Mr Nakane also revealed that for the first time, the Tokyo International Conference on African Development will be held in Africa, in Kenya next year.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and the Japanese embassy officials attended the meeting at State House.