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House and declared that his country was back in Africa to cultivate ties with its traditional friends.
This is the first visit to Zimbabwe by a top Russian government official after almost a decade. Mr Margelov is the current chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federation Council of Russia.

He has also been a member of the European Democrat Group in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Emerging from a closed door meeting with President Mugabe, Mr Margelov announced Russia’s return to Africa.

“Russia is back to Africa. We were out for a decade. We want to develop co-operation with our traditional friends.”
In Zimbabwe, Mr Margelov said Russia was ready to expand economic co-operation in such sectors as mining, agriculture and infrastructure development.

He singled out uranium and coal in mining though he said Russia could also be interested in other minerals. Mr Margelov said Russia also wanted to invest in the agriculture sector.
Last week, the Russian ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Andrey Kushakov said there was great interest from Russian state companies to increase their presence in Zimbabwe citing the energy sector and infrastructure development.

On politics, Mr Margelov said Africa should be left to solve its problems without outside interference.
“Only Africans have the right to solve their problems,” he said.

Zimbabwe and Russia enjoy good relations dating back to the days of Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle.
Moscow provided moral and material support that helped liberation war fighters topple the colonial Ian Smith regime.

Russia has also blocked attempts by the US, Britain and their allies to use the United Nations system to legitimise the sanctions they imposed on Zimbabwe and take even more drastic action against Harare.
Moscow has continued to condemn the illegal sanctions imposed on Harare by the West calling for their unconditional removal.