By Aldridge Dzvene
Speaker of the Parliament of Zimbabwe, Advocate Jacob Francis Nzwidamilimo Mudenda, has arrived in Japan for a four-day parliamentary bilateral visit aimed at strengthening legislative cooperation and advancing economic diplomacy.
The visit, undertaken at the invitation of Japan’s Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Nukaga, and the President of the House of Councillors, Mr. Masakazu Sekiguchi, reflects Zimbabwe’s commitment to consolidating long-standing bilateral ties with Japan.
Speaker Mudenda is accompanied by a parliamentary delegation comprising Hon. Tawanda Karikoga, Hon. Sibongile Maphosa, Hon. Patricia Kundlande, and Hon. Knowledge Kaitano. Upon arrival on Monday, the delegation received a comprehensive briefing from Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Japan, Stewart Nyakotyo, who outlined the embassy’s priorities in line with the Second Republic’s policy thrust of economic diplomacy.
In his remarks, Speaker Mudenda commended the embassy staff for their dedication to advancing Zimbabwe’s political and economic interests, while underscoring the importance of fostering deeper collaboration with Japan.
During the visit, the delegation will hold high-level meetings with Speaker Nukaga, President Sekiguchi, and members of the Japan-AU Parliamentary Association. The lawmakers are also set to engage Japanese multinational technology giants SORA Technology and NEC, which specialise in artificial intelligence, networking, and biometric security solutions. Additionally, consultations with Dr. Kitaoka Shinichi, Special Advisor at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), are scheduled.
The agenda will focus on expanding parliamentary relations, unlocking trade and investment opportunities, advancing technological and innovation partnerships in agriculture, health, and IT, as well as garnering Japan’s support for Zimbabwe’s bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2027–2028 term, a key foreign policy objective championed by President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.
Zimbabwe and Japan have enjoyed cordial relations since 1980, with Tokyo playing a vital role in supporting Harare through infrastructure development, capacity-building, and food security initiatives. President Mnangagwa’s recent visit to Japan for the Osaka Expo and the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to deeper cooperation, with the Yokohama Declaration echoing Zimbabwe’s calls for debt justice, value-chain development, and affordable climate financing.
