Zimbabwe asks Iran to help it bust sanctions

FOREIGN Affairs ministry secretary, James Manzou has pleaded with Iran to join forces to denounce economic sanctions that were imposed on the country by Western powers.

Speaking during the 8th Session of the Zimbabwe-Iran Permanent Joint Commission on Co-operation in Harare yesterday, Manzou said the two countries should take advantage of their natural resources to advance their economies.

"We should share our experiences on how to frustrate the inglorious vocations of our detractors. Zimbabwe and Iran are the innocent victims of illegal and ruinous sanctions by Western countries over our sovereign decisions to pursue independent paths of development. In the spirit of South-South co-operation, we should harness our resources to further develop our two nations so that we reduce our dependence on industrialised countries," Manzou said.

"A lot has changed on the ground, including evolving global trends as well as the global COVID-19 pandemic, whose devastating effects we feel to this day, and we need to take into account these changes as we chart a new path in our bilateral relations."

Given the two countries' rich background of co-operation, they should strive to develop and expand their trade and economic relations for their benefit, Manzou said.

Zimbabwe has been on a trade expansion drive ever since President Emmerson Mnangagwa took over power in 2017 from the late former President Robert Mugabe.