Malaysia to enhance bilateral ties with Zim in key areas

AFTER more than 30 years of diplomatic ties, Malaysia is ready to enhance its bilateral co-operation with Zimbabwe in key areas such as trade, agriculture, education and tourism.

Charge d’Affaires at the embassy of Malaysia in Zimbabwe, Mr Aniff Fauzi yesterday said the relationship between Zimbabwe and Malaysia had been warm and cordial since the establishment of the embassy in Harare in 1988 and the embassy of Zimbabwe in Kuala Lumpur in 1991.

Over the years, the two countries’ collaboration had extended across international forums including the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement and other international organisations.

In an interview, Mr Fauzi said the bilateral cooperation between Zimbabwe and Malaysia was concentrated in key areas such as trade, agriculture, education, tourism, and capacity building through the Malaysia Technical Cooperation Programme.

The bilateral trade between both countries continued to show a significant increase despite the challenging global economic landscape with the total trade increasing 136 percent in 2023 from the 2022 level.

He said since he came to Zimbabwe six months ago, he had been engaging with officials from the Government ministries and private companies on many areas of cooperation and especially in trade and education.

“Africa is now a focus of our current leadership, aiming to diversify trade and explore new trade and investment opportunities,” Mr Fauzi said.

“It is my responsibility to establish, connect and explore any potential new cooperation between the two countries. Among the efforts taken such as organising a webinar to explore the emerging market in Zimbabwe in December 2023 and engaging with stakeholders such as Zimbabwe Investment and Development Agency, Zimtrade and relevant Ministries to strengthen our cooperation, especially in trade, investment, mining and agriculture.

“We are also embarking on halal diplomacy, aiming to strengthen Malaysia’s leadership role in the global halal industry. On that note, we are glad to inform that this year Malaysia will host the 20th Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS 2024).”

Mr Fauzi said since its inception in 2004, MIHAS has become an event for local and foreign businesses to thrive in the halal trade and to contribute significantly to the global halal economy. He said in 2023, MIHAS attracted over 38 000 trade visitors.

“We are open to welcoming prospective partners from Zimbabwe to explore opportunities in this burgeoning market alongside Malaysia, especially in new emerging areas such as TVET, green technology, renewable energy and digital economy,” Mr Fauzi said.

“Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030 initiatives indeed offer excellent opportunities for Malaysian businesses. There is a potential for collaborative ventures where Malaysian businesses can share their knowledge and expertise in realizing the agenda.

“We see promising prospects in exploring sectors through many ventures cooperation. On this note, the embassy is now working closely with relevant parties in Malaysia to promote some investment opportunities under Zimbabwe Vision 2030, in sectors such as mining, agriculture and infrastructure development.”

Mr Fauzi said they hoped that their engagement would yield tangible results for the mutual benefit of the two countries.