Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko concluded his three-day visit to Zimbabwe yesterday, where he signed several agreements and contracts aimed at deepening the economic and political ties between the two countries. The Belarusian leader was warmly welcomed by Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa, with whom he shares a longtime personal friendship.
Belarus has prioritized strengthening cooperation with distant countries such as Zimbabwe over the past several years. Its efforts to expand relations with countries throughout Africa and Latin America come at a time of increasing international isolation for the Belarusian leader, which began after he launched violent crackdowns on protesters during the Belarusian presidential elections in 2020 and later grew as a result of his staunch support for Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Nevertheless, the Belarusian president was greeted by a amicable reception in Harare, marked by dancing, drumming, and a toy crocodile, which symbolized the moniker of Zimbabwe’s president, “The Crocodile,” which he earned during the anti-colonial war for his strength and political savvy.
During the visit, Lukashenko signed an intergovernmental agreement on double taxation avoidance and the prevention of tax evasion, established sister city relations between Minsk and Harare, signed contracts for the supply of Belarusian tractors and grain harvesting equipment, and signed a memorandum of understanding for supplies of Belarus-made machinery and equipment for the timber industry in Zimbabwe.
He also expressed his willingness to support the creation of joint ventures between Zimbabwe and Belarus and emphasized the importance of further developing bilateral cooperation.
Belarus has been actively expanding its presence across the African continent in the past decade, establishing diplomatic relations with 51 of the 54 countries in Africa. Its chief exports to the continent include agricultural machines, trucks, mining vehicles, and metallurgical products. Belarus’ constant efforts to penetrate the African market have so far produced results, with trade between Belarus and African countries amounting to approximately $500 million in 2021.
Lukashenko was quoted as saying during his visit: “Africa woke up a long time ago. The world has no future without Africa. Without Africa, the world cannot develop. The future belongs to Africa.”
The Belarusian president underscored that his country inherited a powerful and science-intensive economy from the Soviet Union, and has sold goods to all four corners of the world since 1991. He added that it is not a “disaster” or anyone’s fault that Belarus has to build economic ties with countries all around the globe, but rather a gift of surplus inherited from the Soviet Union.
