Zimbabwe, Equatorial Guinea sign 4 MoUs

Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea have pledged to deepen bilateral cooperation in trade, tourism, education and investment following the signing of four Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) during Equatorial Guinean President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo's State visit to Zimbabwe.

The agreements were signed at State House in Harare yesterday in the presence of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and President Mbasogo, who concluded a two-day State visit to the country.

The four MoUs cover cooperation in education, economic and trade relations, the training of interpreters and translators, and the rules of procedure governing the Joint Commission for Cooperation (JCC).

Addressing delegates during the signing ceremony, President Mnangagwa said both countries should intensify efforts to unlock untapped opportunities in trade, investment and tourism.

"There remains great potential to enhance our bilateral trade and economic cooperation by unlocking trade, tourism, and mutual investment opportunities that are abundant in our two countries," he said.

"The volume of trade and investment has room for further expansion and increase."

The President called on both the public and private sectors to take advantage of opportunities in key economic sectors, including agriculture, mining, tourism, energy and manufacturing.

"I, therefore, urge our private and public sectors to pursue bilateral cooperation so that we capitalise on the vast prospects in sectors such as agriculture, mining, tourism, energy, and manufacturing, among others," he said.

Mnangagwa also highlighted the importance of youth and women in driving economic growth and encouraged greater collaboration between small and medium enterprises in both countries.

"Youth and women remain critical actors for our economies," he said.

"I urge our officials to pursue initiatives that will increase collaboration between our small to medium enterprises, particularly youth and women businesses."

The President said cooperation in education was yielding positive results, noting that students from Equatorial Guinea had successfully completed studies at various Zimbabwean institutions under existing scholarship programmes.

"It is pleasing that the scholarship programme is progressing well and some students from Equatorial Guinea have successfully completed their studies at various institutions here in Zimbabwe," he said.

Zimbabwe, he added, stands ready to welcome more students from Equatorial Guinea as part of efforts to strengthen skills development and human capital growth.

Mnangagwa also commended progress in wildlife management cooperation and pledged to expand collaboration through knowledge sharing, technical exchanges and joint engagement at international platforms focused on conservation and sustainable wildlife management.

On the diplomatic front, the President thanked Equatorial Guinea for supporting Zimbabwe's election to a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2027–2028 term and for consistently advocating the removal of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe.

"Zimbabwe is grateful to you, Your Excellency, the government and people of Equatorial Guinea, for condemning the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe and calling for their unconditional removal," he said.

President Mbasogo said the newly signed agreements should deliver practical benefits to citizens of both nations.

"The agreements signed today should result into tangible results," he said.

"The agreements should enhance sustainable development for the benefit of our people."

The signing ceremony was attended by senior government officials from Zimbabwe and Equatorial Guinea.

During his visit, President Mbasogo also toured National Heroes Acre, where he inspected a guard of honour, laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and received a briefing on the history and significance of Zimbabwe's national shrine.

The Equatorial Guinean leader concluded his visit on Friday and departed Harare in the afternoon. He was seen off at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport by President Mnangagwa, senior government officials and military commanders.

The visit is expected to further strengthen diplomatic and economic ties between the two African nations as they seek to expand cooperation in strategic sectors and promote greater intra-African trade and development.