Belarus President, Alexander Lukashenko met his counterpart President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Harare to strengthen existing relations between the two countries.

Belarusian Head of state will be in Zimbabwe till 1 February 2023.

In a statement on Friday last week, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade spokesperson Livit Mugejo said The President of the Republic of Belarus, His Excellency Alexander Lukashenko, will pay a State Visit to Zimbabwe from 30 January-1 February 2023.

The visit is historic, as it is the first such undertaking to a Sub-Saharan African nation, by President Lukashenko. The State visit is meant to strengthen the existing excellent relations between Zimbabwe and the Republic of Belarus.

The two countries have strong cooperation in political, economic, mining, agriculture and Disaster Risk Management. Several agreements are under consideration and are expected to be signed during the visit.
President Lukashenko and President Mnangagwa are also expected to launch the Second Phase of the Zimbabwe- Belarus Agricultural Mechanisation Programme.

President of Beluras is viewed by the Western nations as an ally of Russian President Putin.

Lukashenko has been in power since 1994. He was reelected in 2020 in a highly contested vote that was widely denounced as a sham, resulting in mass protests. Lukashenko’s government cracked down violently on demonstrators, arresting more than 35,000 people and brutally beating thousands, according to The Associated Press.