KEY POINTS
- Mozambique and Zimbabwe agreed to push for stronger trade ties.
- Talks focused on the Beira Corridor, energy links and a new pipeline.
- Mozambique’s Maria de Fatima Manso is on a four-day visit to Zimbabwe.
Mozambique and Zimbabwe have called for stronger trade ties, with a focus on making better use of shared transport, logistics and energy infrastructure, including the Beira Corridor, Club of Mozambique reported, citing the Mozambican news agency AIM.
Maria de Fatima Manso, Mozambique’s secretary of state for foreign affairs and Mozambican communities abroad, met Amon Murwira, Zimbabwe’s minister of foreign affairs and international trade, on Friday in Harare. They also pledged to deepen political, social and cultural ties, identifying opportunities in agriculture, mining, industrialization, tourism and infrastructure.
Beira Corridor central to trade push
Manso pointed to Mozambique’s development corridors, energy cooperation and infrastructure projects as strategic areas for growing trade. “We want to focus on the economic dimension,” she said, noting that the corridors can move goods to Zimbabwe and that a pipeline is already under construction.
The talks gave particular attention to the Beira Corridor, one of Zimbabwe’s main routes to international markets through Mozambican territory and ports.
Making better use of that infrastructure could ease the movement of goods, improve market access and make businesses in both countries more competitive, participants said.
Reaching out to Mozambicans in Harare
Meanwhile, Manso also met members of the Mozambican community in Harare on Friday to hear their concerns. She urged them to keep their ties to Mozambique, join community associations and register with consular authorities.
Consular registration, she explained, shows how many Mozambicans live abroad and helps the government design policies that fit their needs. She also encouraged them to build links with other foreign communities in Harare, especially African ones.
The meetings are part of Manso’s four-day visit to Zimbabwe.
