Harare — Zimbabwe is ready to engage those countries that have been hostile to it, President Mugabe said yesterday.

Officially opening the Second Session of the Seventh Parliament in Harare, President Mugabe said Zimbabwe would continue to engage the Western community with a view to normalising relations.

"Our country remains in a positive stance to enter into fresh, friendly and co-operative relations with all those countries that have been hostile to us in the past," he said.

He, however, stressed that engagement must ultimately lead to the speedy removal of the economic sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West for embarking on the revolutionary land reform programme.

"We will also continue to engage our international partners on a bilateral level through Joint Commissions of Co-operation and other treaties, in order to drum up support for our economic recovery programme.

"Following the launch of the Zimbabwe-European Union dialogue in Brussels early this year, our re-engagement with the European bloc is gathering momentum.

"However, as our inclusive Government re-engages the Western countries, we expect those countries that have imposed illegal sanctions which have hurt and continue to hurt our economy and the generality of the people to remove them."

President Mugabe urged Zimbabweans to unite for economic turnaround, saying national development was a collective responsibility.

"If the realisation of the fruits of our economic turnaround effort may seem to take longer than expected, it is because the parameters for it have been more demanding in both form and content than expected.

"Together, let us build the bridges of amity, forgiveness, trust and togetherness.

"Let us be the Zimbabwe united in body, mind and spirit. Only that way can we really succeed," the President said.

The new session, President Mugabe said, was historic in that it was the first since the formation of the inclusive Government by Zanu-PF, MDC-T and MDC.

He said in keeping with the Global Political Agreement, the crafting of a new constitution was on course.

To expedite the work, the three principals -- President Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy PM Mutambara -- agreed to include the six negotiators to the GPA in the constitutional management committee.

The process of establishing the Zimbabwe Media Commission, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission was progressing well and conclusion was imminent, he said.

"A Bill to regulate matters incidental to the establishment of a Human Rights Commission will be introduced in this august House during this session," he said.

The Government was deeply concerned by the plight of civil servants.

"The preferred situation is one where the salaries and allowances of public servants are benchmarked against the Poverty Datum Line.

"This will be undertaken as soon as resources become available. I, therefore, appeal to public servants to remain patient as the necessary arrangements are being put in place."

He said work had already started on a Medium-Term Plan to succeed the Short-Term Emergency Recovery Programme, as well as the Three-Year Macro-Economic Framework to cover the period 2010 to 2012.

"The two programmes which are succeeding STERP are expected to usher in the transition from the economic stabilisation mode to a growth and development one," he said.

The session, he said, would debate the Public Finance Management Bill while the Audit Office Bill would be tabled to replace the Audit and Exchequer Act.

The Bill will provide for the establishment of an independent National Audit Office and an Audit Office Commission.

Amendments to the Reserve Bank of Zimba-bwe Act to enhance the effectiveness of the central bank will also be tabled.

"With the summer cropping season now upon us, efforts are afoot to ensure utmost preparedness in terms of inputs and tillage service provision," he said.

President Mugabe said the diamond industry continued to court the attention of investors.

"So far, two serious investors have been selected. The engagement of the investors will help bring progress to Chiadzwa, where measures to ensure the orderly relocation of the local families to pave way for full-scale commercial mining, are already underway," he said.

The State was pursuing the rehabilitation of Hwange Power Station and the resuscitation of smaller stations to address power shorta- ges.

President Mugabe left for Geneva, Switzerland, last night to attend the International Telecommunications Union World Summit.

He was accompanied by the First Lady Amai Grace Mugabe, Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, Transport and Communications Minister Nicholas Goche and other senior Government officials.