The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Professor Amon Murwira, has highlighted the crucial role of trade in driving national prosperity following the meetings held by President Mnangagwa on the sidelines of the recent African Union's 38th Ordinary Session.
Prof Murwira said Zimbabwe was a signatory to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a pivotal platform aimed at boosting intra-African trade.
The Minister was speaking at Tuesday's post-Cabinet media briefing.
He elaborated on the recent Africa Prosperity Dialogue in Ghana, which focused on improving trade facilitation infrastructure, including transport and digital systems, to enhance economic collaboration across the continent.
"A country's prosperity comes from trade, therefore as per our national objectives of making our country, with people that are happy and have a fulfilling life we have to trade," said Prof Murwira.
"Zimbabwe is a member of is signatory to the AfCTA which is a platform for Africa to increase trade amongst itself.
"So, the Africa Prosperity Dialogue that was held in Ghana was basically a trade facilitation dialogue, and its main focus was on trade facilitation infrastructure that is from roads to digital infrastructure, to unified payment systems to promote intra African trade."
Prof Murwira said the President's meeting with President Chapo emphasised the importance of increasing trade between the two countries and highlighted the strong relationship between the two neighbours that have stood the test of time.
"What is important now is that we move into economic cooperation as one of our key ways of cementing our relationship," said Prof Murwira.
"So, the issue was to do with trade. We expect that this impetus by our leaders to say we should increase trade should spur our local production systems between Zimbabwe and Mozambique. In the meeting with the State Minister from UAE, the main discussion there was to increase trade between Zimbabwe and UAE, and you would know from statistics that UAE is the second trading largest partner with Zimbabwe after South Africa at this moment."
