India and Zimbabwe convened their third Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in Harare and reviewed bilateral relations. The meeting covered a range of topics, including development partnerships, trade and economic relations, digital technology, agriculture, health, defense, consular matters, and cultural exchanges.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India said, “The 3rd Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between India and Zimbabwe were held in Harare on 6th August 2024.” Leading the Indian delegation was Puneet R. Kundal, Additional Secretary (East and Southern Africa), while the Zimbabwean delegation was headed by Mike Chigiji, Chief Director (Political) of Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.
The two sides exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, including cooperation within the United Nations. The discussions provided a platform to assess the current status of bilateral relations and explore avenues for further deepening ties between the two nations.
The MEA statement added, “Both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations between the two countries, including existing institutional mechanisms such as the Joint Commission and the Joint Trade Committee.” It highlighted sectoral cooperation in defense, agriculture, health, mines, minerals and geology, digital platforms, education, training and capacity building, and cultural exchanges.
Both countries agreed to hold the next Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi at a mutually convenient date.
In a post on X, MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal remarked, “3rd FOC held in Harare, Zimbabwe today. Co-chaired by Additional Secretary (E&SA) @prkundal & Chief Director Mike Chigiji of @MoFA_ZW. Both sides reviewed bilateral relations and discussed ways for strengthening cooperation in development partnership, trade & economic relations, digital technology, agriculture, health, defense, consular and cultural issues among others. Cooperation in multilateral fora including UN also discussed.”
(ANI)