Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini met the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, Morgan Tsvangirai, at the Foreign Ministry today
ROME, Italy, January 10, 2011/African Press Organization (APO)/ — During their talk, Minister Frattini confirmed that Italy is following current political developments in Zimbabwe very closely. Italy is also following the efforts and progress made on the country’s road to national pacification and democratisation, a road embarked on in February 2009 with the Government of National Unity. The future general and presidential elections will be, not least in the eyes of the international community, an important opportunity to consolidate the process. The elections will need to be well prepared, with an appropriate and adequate framework of guarantees of legality and transparency.
On the economic front, Prime Minister Tsvangirai illustrated the progress made by his country, whose growth prospects are expected this year [2011] to reach about 8%. Zimbabwe has enormous potential in the mining, agriculture, energy and tourism sectors. Minister Frattini expressed an interest in improving the Italian business community’s knowledge of Zimbabwe. This would pave the way not just for the creation of a favourable climate for inward investment, but also for closer bilateral economic relations.
Italy takes a favourable view of stronger relations being developed between Zimbabwe and the European Union. This could encourage a gradual review of the current restrictive measures, in tandem with the progress made – and that still to be made – by Zimbabwe in consolidating its democratic reforms and the rule of law.
SOURCE
Italy – Ministry of Foreign Affairs
