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Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko (right)

From Pamela Shumba in St Petersburg, RUSSIA
VICE President Phelekezela Mphoko arrived here yesterday for the 21st St Petersburg International Economic Forum where Zimbabwe is expected to strengthen economic and investment ties with Russia.

VP Mphoko was accompanied by his wife Laurinda and the Minister of State in the Office of the Vice President Tabetha Kanengoni-Malinga.

The VP was received at the Pulkovo International Airport by Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Russia, Retired Brigadier Mike Sango, Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Mike Bimha and the Minister of Mines and Mining Development Walter Chidhakwa and other Government officials.

Finance and Economic Development Minister Patrick Chinamasa is also expected to be part of the delegation attending the forum.

VP Mphoko is expected to present a global pitch for Zimbabwe’s investment opportunities in his keynote speech at the Forum, which will be running under the theme ‘Achieving new balance in the global economic arena’.

Mining, commerce, agriculture, health and other issues are expected to be discussed during the forum.

Briefing journalists soon after his arrival, VP Mphoko said he was assigned by President Mugabe to attend the forum.

“I was personally assigned by the President and it’s unfortunate that it’s premature to reveal everything now. However, I’m ready for the forum together with the ministers, the ambassador and a few business people who have come with us.

“We’ll all do our best for the country in strengthening the bilateral relations with Russia and identifying a number of companies to help us improve our investments back home,” he said.

VP Mphoko, who was once Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Russia, said relations between the two countries were strong, dating back to the liberation struggle.

“We’ve been good friends with Russia since the days of the liberation struggle. Some of us started here militarily and we’ve quite a number of other people who are familiar with this country due to the strong relations between the two countries.

“If you remember in 2008 the Russians for the first time after 16 years used their veto power to block the British from imposing wholesale sanctions against Zimbabwe. That emphasises the relationship between Zimbabwe and Russia,” said VP Mphoko.

In 2015, President Mugabe visited Russia for the 70th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany after being invited by Russian President Vladmir Putin in his capacity as then African Union Chair.

The President took the opportunity to engage his Russian counterpart on the $3 billion platinum project in Darwendale and agreements around medicine, general engineering, agriculture and other sectors.

He also told Russian investors about Zimbabwe’s abundant mining, energy, tourism and transport infrastructure development potential.

@pamelashumba1