By Staff Writer
THE European Union head of delegation to Zimbabwe, Jobst von Kirchmann says he has made tremendous progress with authorities in Harare over the short eight months span he touched base in the Southern Africa nation.
Relations between Harare and the Western bloc have been stale since the turn of the millennium following the decision by the former late president Robert Mugabe’s administration to carry out a chaotic fast tracked land reform exercise which saw EU citizens being kicked out of the farms.
A track record of human rights abuses since then also worsened the situation prompting the Western bloc to impose sanctions on Harare in a bid to pile pressure on authorities to reform.
However, since the inception of the President Emmerson Mnangagwa led administration, a new policy of re-engagement has been pursued and despite setbacks, relations between the duo appear to be a softening.
The EU has to date dropped most of the travel bans previously imposed on top government officials and the recent invitation extended to Mnangagwa to attend the coronation of King George III have been interpreted as a case in point towards the fruition of Harare’s re-engagement drive.
Addressing delegates on the occasion to celebrate Europe Day, von Kirchmann said his office had registered significant progress with authorities in Harare.
“I have been here for almost eight months, and during this time, I have witnessed first-hand the depth and richness of our collaboration.
“We have made progress in trade and investment, supported the private sector, and engaged in development cooperation as Team Europe aligned with the Zimbabwe’s National Development Strategy. This has been possible because of our shared values and interests,” he said.
The top envoy also commended Harare for initiating the high level Arrears Clearance and Debt Resolution engagement dialogue underscoring that such a bold step has enabled EU to better understand Harare’s standpoint.
“But this process is not only about dialogue, it also helps to build trust and unity. In our recent discussions, I have noticed a positive change. I feel like we all have a genuine desire to understand each other better, and to succeed together.
“We have stopped talking about each other. We are talking to each other. This is crucial in building trust, and trust will an essential element in our partnership for succeeding together,” he said.
He said the upcoming harmonised elections will be a great opportunity to accelerate progress in this process and to trigger more positive changes.
