Harare — Lieutenant-Colonel Saadi Muammar Gaddafi yesterday met President Mugabe and discussed investment opportunities in Zimbabwe.

Lt-Col Gaddafi is the son of Libyan President, Brother Leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, and has been in the country since last Thursday on a week- long visit. He also extended greetings from the Libyan Brother Leader to President Mugabe. "It was a general discussion about the investment opportunities in Zimbabwe and I expressed to His Excellency how I admire your country," he said.

Lt-Col Gaddafi said he was interested in investing in the agriculture and tourism sectors. Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development Minister Joseph Made said Zimbabwe had a lot to benefit especially in irrigation development from the Libyans. "There are areas of food security, which concerns both countries. Critical to that are two issues that of fertiliser and infrastructure development that relates to irrigation.

"Libya has done a lot in that area and has developed irrigation capacity under very difficult conditions," he said. Minister Made said crops that would be considered in any future co-operation agreements included wheat and other cereals, sugar cane, cotton and livestock development among others. Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi said Zimbabwe would give preference in various areas of investment to friendly nations.

"We have said our friendly nations must be the ones to cherry pick on investments in the country and that is countries such as China, Libya and Iran. "These can come whether it is joint ventures or shareholders instead of our detractors," he said.

"He (Lt-Col Gaddafi) is looking at tourism infrastructure especially in the Victoria Falls because as you know Victoria Falls is a sleeping giant," Minister Mzembi said. Lt-Col Gaddafi jetted into the country last Thursday and has visited Victoria Falls. Yesterday he flew to Masvingo where he was expected to tour Gonarezhou National Park, Pamushana Lodge and the Tokwe-Mukorsi Dam construction site.