Brazil condemns sanctions

VISITING Secretary for Africa and the Middle East in Brazil’s Ministry of External Relations, Ambassador Carlos Duarte has condemned the illegal sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West for the past 20 years, saying they must be lifted unconditionally.

The sanctions have cost Zimbabwe’s economy over US$40 billion since their imposition in response to the country’s land reform.

Speaking on Zimpapers Television Network (ZTN) programme, The Mint, Ambassador Duarte said: “Well, Brazil is not in favour of sanctions that are not done through the correct instance for them, which would be the United Nations Security Council, and particularly if these sanctions have extraterritorial effects.

“And we find that these sanctions can have negative effects on relations between Zimbabwe and third countries, as is actually the case for Brazil as well,” he said.

The illegal sanctions have impacted on Zimbabwe’s ability to repay the US$98 million loan for farming equipment extended to it by Brazil in 2015 when last year funds transferred by the AFC Commercial Bank to Brazil for repayment of the loan were immediately returned to the intermediary bank in compliance with the illegal US sanctions.

Ambassador Duarte said consultations between the two countries were part of preparations for the reconvening of the Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation that last sat in 2012.

“It has met twice before, the last time was in 2012, and we hope to have this mechanism again. So, this is a kind of a preparatory instance for that.

“We are still setting the agenda, but the Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation usually has sort of various issues, not just political, but also economic, trade, and other issues that may be coming to the bilateral agenda,” he said.

Ambassador Duarte said Zimbabwe-Brazil relations continue to grow from strength to strength.

The Brazil delegation came on Sunday for the two-day consultations that ended yesterday.