Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has met with his Zimbabwean counterpart, Amon Murwira, in Moscow

Russia and Zimbabwe have signed an agreement to jointly counter sanctions. The signing took place during a meeting between Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his Zimbabwean counterpart, Amon Murwira, in Moscow on Thursday. 

The agreement aims to enhance collaboration in various sectors, including geological exploration, mineral resource extraction, energy, agriculture, and defense.

The former British colony has been under US and EU sanctions for more than two decades. Meanwhile, US sanctions on Russia, which were initially imposed in 2014 following Crimea's reunification with Russia, have recently been extended for another year. The EU has imposed 15 rounds of sanctions on Moscow since the Ukraine conflict escalated in February 2022, freezing Moscow's sovereign assets and severing almost all trade and energy links.

At a press conference following the talks, Lavrov emphasized Russia's commitment to supporting African nations to boost their defense capabilities and address crime and terrorism threats. "Russia will further enhance its assistance to countries in the region on a bilateral basis, including improving the combat readiness of national armed forces, training military personnel, and strengthening security agencies and law enforcement bodies," Lavrov stated.

The diplomat also underscored Russia's dedication to aiding stabilization and conflict resolution efforts in Africa. He highlighted the principle that African countries should resolve conflicts independently, with support from relevant continental organizations. "This has already been proven, and we will continue to uphold the approach that states: 'African problems require African solutions,'" Lavrov stated.

Murwira described political ties with Russia as "excellent," and emphasized the goal of transforming relations into robust, mutually beneficial economic cooperation. The minister also highlighted Zimbabwe's aspiration to join the BRICS group, noting that the country is at the application stage. 

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa discussed his government's intention to join BRICS with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in St. Petersburg last June. 

Murwira's previous visit to Russia took place in November 2024, when he and Zimbabwean Deputy Finance Minister David Mnangagwa met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov.

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The two countries have collaborated in various areas in recent years. In March 2024, Russia donated 25,000 tons of wheat and 23,000 tons of fertilizers to Zimbabwe. Last November, the African country launched its second earth observation satellite, ZimSat-2, into orbit from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Amur Region. The satellite was designed and manufactured jointly by Zimbabwe's National Geospatial and Space Agency and Russia's Southwest State University.

In December, Russia simplified the visa process for Zimbabwean citizens by including the country in the list of those eligible for a unified electronic visa.