Switzerland seeks further economic cooperation
Switzerland is keen to deepen economic ties with Zimbabwe and President-elect Alain Berset, who
is set to assume the presidency next week, has already begun making concrete moves to strengthen
the existing relationship.
This was revealed by Swiss Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Stephane Rey, when he paid a courtesy call
on Acting President Constantino Chiwenga in Harare yesterday. Swiss businesses want to increase
their investment foothold in Zimbabwe as well as boost trade between the two countries.
Ambassador Rey also extended his country’s incoming president’s invitation to Zimbabwe to
attend next year’s edition of the Global Ministerial Summit on Patient Safety to be held in the
resort town of Montreux.
The Swiss President said he wants Zimbabwe to be part of the health summit which he hopes to use
to step up collaboration between the two countries. Switzerland rotates the Presidency every year
among the top seven state councillors.
The move by the Swiss is further evidence of first world countries and businesses dealing with
Zimbabwe which has been on an accelerated pace since the advent of the Second Republic, but is
failing to reach its full potential due to economic sanctions imposed on the country by some
Western countries. Switzerland is not a member of the European Union politically although it has a
number of treaties that effectively put it within the single EU market.
President Mnangagwa has previously attended the World Economic Forum in Davos Switzerland
where he made compelling investment calls that drew global attention back on Zimbabwe.
“We spent an hour and a half discussing bilateral issues with Honourable Chiwenga,” Ambassador
Reysaidafterhis meeting with Acting President Chiwenga. “We went through all the bilateral
issues including economic affairs, Swiss investments, but also I had a specific invitation to extend
to Honourable Chiwenga.
“Switzerland is hosting the 5th Ministerial Patients’ Safety summit in Montreux in February next
year and it was the incoming President’s wish, specific wish, to have Zimbabwe at the table.
“Honourable Chiwenga has immediately accepted the invitation given the fact that the issue of
patient safety has been determined to be one of the most serious issues for the international
community to tackle. Since patients if unattended in hospitals can develop a lot of issues and it’s
one of the major causes of death,” he said.
President Mnangagwa has primed Government to pursue economic diplomacy and steps that better
people’s lives and the economy towards an upper middle-income economy by 2030 and the interest
by the Swiss will be a welcome development.
In the health services, Switzerland has earned global acclaim for research institutions that have
contributed to medical breakthroughs and is home to leading pharmaceuticals.
Zimbabwe, which is in the process of revamping its health services to meet upper middle-income
economy standards, will be keen to get a closer look at the Swiss example.
“We are looking forward to hosting him (Dr Chiwenga) in Switzerland and also for him to meet
with potential investors,” said Ambassador Rey.
“Switzerland is the major European investor in Zimbabwe but we want to do more and also in the
fields of health and pharmaceuticals. I think there is still a lot of potential that Swiss companies
can contribute to.
“But in terms of trade, I think more can be done. Hopefully during my tenure, we can do more
(trade) between Switzerland and Zimbabwe,” he said.-The Herald
