Harare — PRESIDENT of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, will officially open the 51st edition of the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo on April 23.
Secretary for Media, Information and Publicity Mr George Charamba revealed this after Tehe-ran's incoming ambassador to Harare, Mr Mohammed Pour Najaf, presented his credentials to President Mugabe at State House yesterday.
"President Ahmadinejad will open the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair this year on April 23," Mr Charamba said.
The ZITF will run from April 20 to April 24.
Zambia's President Rupiah Banda officially opened the 50th edition of ZITF last year.
Speaking to journalists after meeting President Mugabe, Ambassador Pour Najaf hailed Zimbabwe-Iran ties.
"Zimbabwe and Iran enjoy strategic co-operation partnerships . . .
"The doors and gates of Iran are always open. You do not need a visa to visit Iran so we invite Zimbabweans to come to Iran," he said.
Ambassador Pour Najaf said Iran would soon establish a regional centre in Harare to supply tractors and irrigation equipment.
"Everything will be transferred from here including the tractors, irrigation equipment and many others," said Ambassador Pour Najaf.
Iran's new top diplomat in Harare holds a Master of Arts degree in English and has lectured at Iran's College of International Relations.
Before taking up his latest posting, he was advisor to Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and also served at his country's embassy in South Africa.
Ambassador Pour Najaf takes over from Mr Rasoul Momeni who left Zimbabwe last month.
Zimbabwe and Iran enjoy cordial relations firmly rooted in the principles of sovereignty and self-determination and have been put under illegal sanctions in their pursuit to preserve those virtues.
Iran has been maligned by the West for its civilian nuclear energy programmes, while Zimbabwe has been targeted for redistributing land held by a few thousand whites to nearly 300 000 black families.
The two countries have embarked on several joint ventures; especially in agriculture, irrigation development, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
Iran is also considering assisting Zimbabwe in the energy sector through the rehabilitation of the Feruka Oil Refinery, setting up a transformer manufacturing plant and a hydroelectric power plant in Kariba.
Teheran has also invested in a helicopter repair and technicians' training facility in Zimbabwe.
Comments Post a comment
When one crappy illegitimate President comes and opens a trade fair for another crappy illegitimate president ??.......... good luck!!!
How can the leader of a corrupt regime lend any legitimacy to the ZITF? It is well known that many top officers in the revolutionary guard and some religious leaders are multi-millionaires. For every $50,000 in tobacco Zimbabwe trades to Iran they get a $10,000 farm tractor in return with ZanyPF getting a big kickback. When the tractor breaks down within a year they just repeat the process again. Mugabe doesn't care about ideology, trade or building the economy. He is just looking for ways to buy loyalty to stay in power.
Mr. Tsvangirai, please tell us again how Mugabe is not part of the problem when he spits in your face every chance he gets.
This war on food ( A-Dinner-Jihad) has got to stop. What is there to trade in Zimbabwe now, absolutely nothing except illigal diamonds. blood ones at that. Now is a good time for the kimberly process to get involved and get the buggers out of power.
Ian you are right. That is exactly why people like Dinnerjacket have made their way all from Iran to Zimbabwe just for those diamonds for it certainly cannot be to experience inhaling black smoke spewed from the exhausts of those chova mbawiwas.
You are known by who your friends are.........
When Ahmidinijiad & Kim Jon Il are your "friends", what does that tell us in the rest of the "real world" about you?
One once said, "keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer....."
Who are ZANU-Poof's "friends" right now? What do either of them expect in return for their "show" of "friendship" towards ZANU-Poof?
Or, should I say, how many diamonds from Chiadzwa are being sent through N. Korea to make their way into the global market? What sort of premium are the N. Koreans demanding for laundering ZANU-Poof's ill-begotten gains?....
You can be sure it is NOT going towards improving the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans.........
So much for the empty slogan of "Total Empowerment!"..........................