A delegation of about 50 Russian business leaders was in Zimbabwe on Monday for talks with senior officials about investment opportunities in the Southern African country.
Officials from both countries said that the discussions would include talks about possible mining investments in Zimbabwe, which is rich in minerals such as platinum and uranium.
”So far what is clear is that they [Russians] are interested in exploring business opportunities in telecommunications and mining areas,” Economic Development Minister Rugare Gumbo said without giving further details.
Oleg Scherbak, Russia’s ambassador to Harare, said that the delegation’s interests were wide-ranging.
”These investors have various business interests ranging from transport, power and mining to tourism, telecommunications and agriculture,” he told the state-owned Herald newspaper.
Harare has strong political links with Moscow dating back to its pre-independence days, and Russia was the only European nation invited to observe the disputed 2002 elections won by long-time President Robert Mugabe.
Moscow has also been showing increasing interest in possible investment opportunities in the region. President Vladimir Putin led a large business delegation to South Africa last month when a number of mining deals were inked.
Platinum is now Zimbabwe’s major foreign currency earner, with exports increasing by 18% last year as a result of rising international prices and expansion programmes by two local firms.
Zimbabwe’s national carrier is also looking at the possibility of Russian assistance.
”We have made recommendations to the government on what we want from these guys [Russian investors],” Jonathan Kadzura, an Air Zimbabwe board member said.
”It does not matter that we are a small airline, but what is important are the opportunities being offered to us by them. However the only sad thing is that as a nation we do not seem to be moving fast to embrace the opportunities being offered by these Russians.”
While ties with Russia are warming, Mugabe has in contrast been cold-shouldered by the European Union, which has slapped a travel ban and frozen the president’s assets over allegations of human rights abuses.
Ambassador Scherbak said that a group of 17 Russian print and broadcast journalists was also accompanying the business delegation.
”The Russian journalists will meet local journalists from various media houses and will have an opportunity to share and exchange ideas.
”They will also have an opportunity to move around the country and establish the truth behind the negative publicity that Zimbabwe is currently receiving from some Western countries,” Scherbak said. — Sapa-AFP