On Tuesday 3 December, the Republic of Zimbabwe and the EU reaffirmed their commitment to deepening their Economic Partnership Agreement, at a partnership dialogue meeting held in Harare.
“Trade and investment were highlighted as key drivers for growth, with both parties exploring ways to create a more conducive environment for business”, said the EU delegation to Zimbabwe in a statement.
Benefiting from quota-free, duty-free access to the markets of the 27 EU countries, Zimbabwe and the EU agreed to work towards strengthening trade. The EU also announced its intention to mobilise European companies and organise a business event in early 2025 to encourage investment.
Sanctions. The Zimbabwean government welcomed the lifting of most of the sanctions imposed by the EU and reiterated its call for the remaining sanctions against the state-owned company Zimbabwe Defence Industries to be lifted.
“The EU reaffirmed its openness to continued dialogue on the matter”, the EU delegation said on Tuesday.
The EU had extended its restrictive measures against this arms manufacturer in February 2024 for a period of one year (see EUROPE 13342/28), shortly after advocating comprehensive electoral reform in Zimbabwe (see EUROPE 13295/27).
Climate change. The EU announced the mobilisation of a further 6.6 million dollars to mitigate the impacts of the drought caused by the ‘El Niño’ meteorological phenomenon.
The meeting also focused on Zimbabwe’s economic recovery efforts, in particular the debt resolution process, the empowerment of women and the promotion of “greener” agriculture. (Original version in French by Bernard Denuit)