ED charms Dubai with foreign policy clarity

MOREBLESSING MARANGE

President Emmerson Mnangagwa chose the World Governments Summit in Dubai to articulate Zimbabwe’s foreign policy true to his mantra of “friends to all, enemy to none” where he also added that the country will prioritise her interests first before looking west or east.

He also spoke of the country’s land reform programme saying it served the interest of locals without looking at colour or race.

The President was part of a high-level plenary session with Botswana President Duma Boko and the President of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio.

Prominent American journalist, Tucker Carlson, facilitated the session.

Carlson asked Mnangagwa about his thoughts and position on the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by the United States.

Mnangagwa avoided taking sides on the matter saying: “Venezuela is very far away from Zimbabwe. But I don’t know what we really read in Zimbabwe actually happens in Venezuela, but from what we read, we are interested to know why it is happening,” he said.

Maduro was captured by United States forces and is being tried in court for drug trafficking and criminal indictments.

The U.S. has indicated it will play a role in Venezuela’s transitional governance, but the legality of the action and its impact on regional stability have drawn widespread international debate.

Mnangagwa was to face questions on sanctions, the land reform and the economic crisis in Zimbabwe.

“Our economy has faced challenges,” he admitted, before adding that those challenges were tied to Zimbabwe’s decision to reclaim its land and assert independence.

“We seized the land and gave it to our people,” he said.

He said the move to take over land was not racial but was meant to take what belonged to the people of Zimbabwe.

“Land did not belong to a race. It belonged to Zimbabweans,” he said.

On where interests stand between the east or west, the President said Zimbabwe is a sovereign state and engages in what brings results for the country.

“Zimbabwe is a sovereign state,” he said. “We engage on the basis that gives us the best results from our resources.”

“We do not need to please the West or please the East. We please ourselves.”