By Aldridge Dzvene
HARARE – Zimbabwe and Palestine have agreed to deepen bilateral cooperation in women’s empowerment, small and medium enterprise development and community empowerment, in a move expected to strengthen economic diplomacy and support inclusive socio-economic transformation under the National Development Strategy 2 (NDS2).
The commitment was reached during a meeting between Palestinian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, His Excellency Dr Tamer Almassri, and the Minister of Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa, in Harare on Monday.
The engagement signals Government’s continued use of bilateral partnerships to complement domestic development priorities through knowledge sharing, capacity building and institutional cooperation. As Zimbabwe accelerates the implementation of Vision 2030, international partnerships are increasingly becoming important platforms for mobilising expertise, promoting innovation and expanding opportunities for women-led enterprises.
Ambassador Almassri said Palestine is committed to strengthening cooperation with Zimbabwe by facilitating exchanges between institutions and supporting programmes that empower women economically.
“Our women’s delegation once came here, and we are happy to come again and ready to host you in Palestine. We want to be partners and supporters in women empowerment. Women in Zimbabwe are very strong; they actively contribute to the growth of different sectors,” he said.
The proposed collaboration has the potential to strengthen entrepreneurship ecosystems in both countries by promoting the exchange of practical experiences in enterprise development, cooperative management and community-based economic initiatives.
Senator Mutsvangwa said Zimbabwe remains committed to broadening cooperation with Palestine in areas that contribute to sustainable livelihoods and economic inclusion.
“Our mandate is to bring people together. SMEs are the pulse of the economy. We are also in charge of cooperatives, which have a wider reach of inclusivity in line with Vision 2030,” she said.
Her remarks reinforce Government’s strategy of positioning SMEs and cooperatives as engines of economic growth, employment creation and poverty reduction. By expanding opportunities for women entrepreneurs, Zimbabwe seeks to build resilient local economies capable of contributing meaningfully to national industrialisation and economic diversification.
The meeting also reaffirmed Zimbabwe’s longstanding solidarity with Palestine, reflecting the country’s foreign policy of maintaining strong bilateral relations while pursuing partnerships that deliver tangible development outcomes.
The decision by both countries to formalise cooperation through memoranda of understanding is expected to provide a structured framework for implementing joint programmes that enhance women’s participation in economic development, strengthen community enterprises and promote inclusive growth.
As Zimbabwe continues to pursue the objectives of NDS2, partnerships that combine diplomacy with socio-economic cooperation are expected to play an increasingly important role in advancing sustainable development, empowering communities and creating opportunities that improve the livelihoods of citizens.
