Zimbabwe joined Rwandans in celebrating Liberation Day with the southern African country’s Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister, Amon Murwira praising President Paul Kagame for stewarding the country towards economic transformation. The 31st Liberation Day celebrations, held at the residence of the Rwandan Ambassador to Zimbabwe, James Musoni, was attended by members of the Rwandan community in Zimbabwe, friends of Rwanda, diplomats accredited to Zimbabwe and the business community. Murwira said that under Kagame, Rwanda has made remarkable success on its flagship programmes such as achieving economic development and poverty reduction and the country’s economic transformation strategy. Murwira said these achievements, and many others, have seen Rwanda rise to be ranked 38 among 190 global economies in the ease of doing business and second to do business in Africa. Murwira praised Rwanda and Zimbabwe which he said are on an upward trajectory saying the countries should “Close cooperation has subsisted between Zimbabwe and Rwanda in various strategic sectors such as education. In this regard, we are proposing that, together, we create a robust trade ecosystem that drives economic growth and improves the livelihoods of citizens of both countries,” he said. Murwira said such cooperation should be particularly in areas such as agriculture especially in agro processing, agro industrial parks, education, scientific, technical, cultural cooperation, mining and infrastructure development. “To achieve mutual prosperity let us also focus on reducing trade barriers and enhancing logistical and infrastructural frameworks.,” Murwira said. He said Zimbabwe is looking forward to the convening of the third session of the Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation during in August this year emphasising that keys outcomes will be the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Exchange of Education Personnel and Expertise which he said have centred on the people to people relations through the deployment of Zimbabwean teachers and lecturers who are working in various educational institutions in Rwanda. Muriwra said Zimbabwe is seeking Rwanda’s support at the Fora of Multilateral Environmental Agreements such as the Convention on International Trade and Endangered Species (CITES) where Zimbabwe is advocating for the regulated sale of is ivory stockpiles as well as Rwanda’s support in Harare’s bid for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council for the 2027-2028 period. Murwira expressed satisfaction with the state of excellent cooperation and solidarity between Rwanda and Zimbabwe at the continental and multilateral fora. “We commit to further deepen these relations for the mutual benefit of our two countries and peoples,” he said. Rwanda’s ambassador James Musoni told the gathering that as a result of Kagame’s inclusive politics and developmental agenda, Rwanda has made remarkable transformation into a united, peaceful democratic and prosperous nation. Musoni said as a result of the transformation, Rwanda’s life expectancy has risen to 70 years whereas the average life expectancy in Africa is 64 years. He said the increase in life expectancy is a direct attribution of the ongoing socio-economic progress in Rwanda, especially advancements in healthcare access and ongoing initiatives promoting overall well-being in Rwanda. He praised Kagame for his visionary leadership in development of cooperation and partnerships and promotion of a peaceful world. “Rwanda plays a key role in safeguarding peace and security across the world and is currently the fifth largest contributor to United Nations missions globally and the second continental contributor. Musoni said Rwanda is looking forward to the third JPCC next month saying this will further strengthen the existing cordial relations between Rwanda and Zimbabwe. The celebrations were punctuated by dance and song performed by a Rwandan culture troupe, Inganzo Nagari, which thrilled the gathering.
