A article in the Herald today reports that Mnangagwa has said Zimbabwe will not bend its policies based on the interest of other countries. In the same article however, Mnangagwa is quoted saying that Zimbabwe would however make decisions in “the interests of those who are friendly to us.”
It’s not clear which unfriendly countries the president and the article were referring to.
Said the report:
Zimbabwe’s domestic and foreign policies will not bend to the whims of other countries’ desires, and will continue to be informed by the national interest as well as respect for historically friendly relations with like-minded nations, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has said.
In a series of interviews with Russian media houses earlier this week, during his current tour of four Eurasian nations, the Head of State and Government also explained Zimbabwe’s Engagement and Re-Engagement Policy.
In one interview in Russia, President Mnangagwa said, “Zimbabwe is a sovereign state; we make decisions on the bases of national interests as well as the interests of those who are friendly to us.
“In regard to the Russian Federation, there is a history of co-operation prior to our Independence and post-Independence, and we have stood together … So there is no cause for us to depart from that stance.”
Mnangagwa was also shown in a video telling the Russian president that Zimbabwe is a third world country and that it needs help from its senior brother, Russia.
For its part, Russia has also made it clear that its interests come first and that it’s not going to help other countries make up for their deficits. Below, a tweet by Russian Prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev a few days ago:
https://twitter.com/MedvedevRussiaE/status/1084789079475134465
More: The Herald