FOREIGN Affairs minister Sibusiso Moyo yesterday said the country was working hard to end its international isolation and foster economic development.
BY OBEY MANAYITI
In an interview yesterday at the State House on the sidelines of the swearing-in of new Cabinet ministers by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Moyo said even though Zimbabwe was on good terms with Asian countries among them China, their focus was to build relations with the Americas and Europe as well in a departure from previous administrations of former leader Robert Mugabe.
“We are looking forward to ending isolation of Zimbabwe from the international community so that the country can participate within the global affairs of this international arena,” Moyo said.
“We believe that there is already a lot of warming up from those whom we are re-engaging and deepening relations with those who have always stood by us.
Our relationship with Europe and Americas is also softening and we believe that the economic interests of this country have now come to a point when we are going to be experiencing the end of isolation.
He added: “We are going to experience the end of total restrictions which has been surrounding this country for some time and we believe that we are going to learn to unlearn all the wrong things which we have had before as we move forward but the key issue is that Zimbabwe is one for business.”
United States President Donald Trump last month re-imposed limited economic sanctions against Zimbabwe and re-affirmed the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act (Zidera), which analysts said remains the single biggest stumbling block to sustainable levels of the much-needed Foreign Direct Investment for the struggling southern African country.
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The minister described Diasporans as the first ambassadors for the nation and that they must play a pivotal role in rebuilding the country.
He also said they will be looking at the human capital resources so that they redeploy people appropriately.
Meanwhile, Mangaliso Ndlovu, the new Industry and Commerce minister said he would look at how the local industries can be capacitated to produce competitive products and ultimately lead to the competitive economy.
He said his focus is on attracting both local and foreign investors.
