Belarusian Defense Minister Viktar Khrenin met with Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on December 15, the Defense Ministry press service reported.
Khrenin said that Belarus seeks to cooperate with Zimbabwe, including in the military sphere, and quoted Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who said that without Africa “there can be no planetary development.”
“The main goal of my visit is to activate bilateral military and military-technical cooperation between the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Zimbabwe. In modern conditions, we must be ready to respond to any challenges that pose threats to the security of our countries. And in military terms, Belarus has something to offer Zimbabwe. Both at the level of heads of state and at the level of heads of departments, we have no closed topics for discussion,” Khrenin said.
The defense minister also informed the Zimbabwean president about the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Belarusian potash.
“This will allow us to resume and expand cooperation in this area,” Khrenin noted.
Mnangagwa said that Zimbabwe considers Belarus a strategic partner and is ready to develop relations between the countries in various fields.
“I am convinced that our cooperation will bring tangible benefits to both sides. Zimbabwe values Belarus and its support. I am aware that an agreement has been signed between the defense ministries of Belarus and Zimbabwe. This is an important instrument for expanding and strengthening our defense cooperation. Zimbabwe expects enhanced cooperation in the area of agricultural mechanization,” Mnangagwa said.
The Zimbabwean president also asked that warm regards be conveyed to Lukashenka.
“He is one of my friends in Europe. I trust him and rely on him,” he said.
As reported earlier, Khrenin and Zimbabwean Defense Minister Oppah Muchinguri- Kashiri signed a military cooperation agreement the day before.
