BUSINESS REPORTER
Zimbabwe is expecting to benefit from the Japanese Osaka 2025 Expo which will present vast investment opportunities for various sectors of the economy as the Southern African nation’s re-engagement drive gathers pace.
Zimbabwe is in dire need of foreign direct investments after over two decades of isolation and looks up to the expos to tell the Zimbabwean story.
Speaking at the Osaka 2025 preparatory press conference on Tuesday, Foreign Affairs and International Trade permanent secretary James Manzou said the exhibit would bring together people from all over the world to share ideas, innovations, and experiences.
“Zimbabwe’s participation at Expo 2025 will provide an excellent opportunity for us to market our unlimited investment opportunities in agriculture, mining, tourism, manufacturing, and technology.
“Zimbabwe will also market its unlimited tourist attractions, apart from our major draw card, the Victoria Falls,” Manzou said.
He said Zimbabwe would also ensure that it utilises this event and engages with its Diaspora and all collaborating stakeholders.
Manzou said Zimbabwe would forge new partnerships and attract investment including from new frontiers at Expo 2025, in line with the government’s approach as a “friend to all, enemy to none”.
“Through engagement, re-engagement, and re-affirmation, our primary objective is to improve relations, and foster economic growth, with the main aim to improve the living standards of our citizens.
“Surely, Expo 2025 is an integral platform for our great nation to advance our diplomatic agenda to new heights.”
Recently appointed Osaka Expo Commissioner General Allan Majuru said this world presentation is a platform for Zimbabwe to consolidate and position itself as a preferred destination market for tourism and investment and as a source market for goods and services.
“The country has recorded important milestones in its engagement and re-engagement efforts under the mantra ‘friend to all and enemy to none’ and I would like to leverage on the achievement by His Excellency President E. D. Mnangagwa to reach out to millions of people who are expected to grace this occasion,” Majuru said.
Osaka 2025 World Expo is expecting 28m visitors from across the world and to date, over 150 countries have confirmed their participation in this event.
The organisers of the Osaka 2025 Expo are confident of surpassing the 24m visitors from around the world and the 192 country pavilions recorded by Expo 2020 Dubai.
