Grain and fertilizer shipments from Russia to the African continent demonstrate Moscow's responsibility in developing relations with the region, Nikolai Krasilnikov, Russia's ambassador to Zimbabwe, said in an interview with Russian media.
"The delivery by sea to neighboring Mozambique and the start of unloading 25,000 tons of our wheat for onward shipment to Zimbabwe were carried out in accordance with Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision announced at the second Russia-Africa Summit," he said.
The diplomat noted that in February, it is planned to unload the 23,000 tons of fertilizer donated to Zimbabwe free of charge by the Uralchem-Uralkali Group to implement Vladimir Putin's 2022 initiative to help African countries.
"This contribution to food security underlines the responsible attitude of Russia and its companies to the development of relations with Africa," Krasilnikov said, adding that Uralchem had expressed interest in starting fertilizer production in Zimbabwe several years ago.
He emphasized that "this is part of Harare's plans to create a logistics hub in the country for the whole of Southern Africa, which could supply neighboring countries with foodstuffs, fertilizers and other essential goods".
Energy Sector
Solutions used in Russia's energy sector are also attracting Harare's attention because they can help ensure people's access to affordable fuel, the ambassador said.
"Zimbabweans who don't have access to the ocean coast are forced to pay high freight costs, which increases the cost of production. Addressing these issues is essential to unlock the many bottlenecks in the Zimbabwean economy," he said.
The peaceful use of nuclear energy also has good prospects, especially in medicine and agriculture, Krasilnikov revealed.
High-Tech Sector
Nikolai Krasilnikov spoke about the agreement between Russia and Zimbabwe on the creation of a center of excellence for receiving and processing satellite data in the Southern African country. According to him, the use of space can help solve problems in the economic and social spheres.
In addition, Russia's Rostec Group has delivered a batch of Ansat helicopters to Zimbabwe, the diplomat said. He described the idea of creating a national air ambulance service in Zimbabwe as "promising".
"Implementation of the project could enable Zimbabwe to reach new heights in the field of health care and make the country one of the few to have a public air-based emergency medical care system," he added.
Social Sphere
Cooperation in the social sector has been very successful, such as the project to create sustainable food chains in Zimbabwe using digital solutions, Krasilnikov said.
"This involves modernizing markets, warehouses and food waste recycling points in a number of regions of the country, as well as amending legislation governing the operation of markets to bring parallel entrepreneurs "out of the shadows" and ensure compliance with health and safety standards. Russia's contribution to this project amounts to $1.5 million," he added.
International information security and payment in national currencies are also among the issues regularly discussed at Russian-Zimbabwean intergovernmental meetings, the ambassador noted.
Promises Made, Promises Kept
Moscow has promised to supply grain free of charge to six African countries. This decision was announced by Vladimir Putin at the second Russia-Africa Summit held in St. Petersburg at the end of July 2023.
The recipient countries are Burkina Faso, Somalia, the Central African Republic, Zimbabwe, Mali and Eritrea. In total, Moscow plans to ship up to 200,000 tons of grain to these countries.
Free grain has already been delivered to Somalia, Eritrea and Mali. The shipment destined for Zimbabwe arrived in the Mozambican port of Beira on December 29. It is now en route by road to its final destination. Two other shipments have also arrived at the African continent and will be transported by land.
As for the fertilizer supplies, the Uralchem Group is responsible for their transportation to the African continent.
According to the Beira Port Administration, a shipment of over 20,000 tons of free Russian fertilizers destined for Zimbabwe arrived in Mozambique at the beginning of January. The fertilizers will be transported to Zimbabwe by land.
Cargoes have also been shipped to Malawi, Kenya, and Nigeria. In total, Uralchem plans to donate about 300,000 tons of mineral fertilizers to developing countries.