Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema urged Zimbabwe and Zambia to reconnect with their shared liberation history and deepen people-to-people partnerships at the inaugural Bi-National Commission in Harare on Friday.
Hichilema and Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa co-chaired the first session of the Zimbabwe-Zambia Bi-National Commission, marking an upgrade from the long-standing Joint Permanent Commission on Cooperation between the neighbouring countries.
“We need to walk the path that those who came before walked in our relationship, and I call the people of Zimbabwe, the people of Zambia, at a people-to-people level to continue deepening this partnership,” Hichilema said at the Harare International Conference Centre.
The Zambian leader, making his first official visit to Zimbabwe since taking office in 2021, described the two nations as “Siamese twins” connected by history, geography and shared destiny.
The countries signed five memoranda of understanding covering diplomatic training, immigration cooperation, labour and employment, agriculture, and youth development.
Zimbabwe announced its Cabinet had approved removal of transit duties on petroleum products, effective Nov. 27, according to a joint communiqué. The measure aims to eliminate trade barriers between the countries.
“Zimbabwe and Zambia have been together pre-independence,” Hichilema said. “If you look at the historic sites in Zimbabwe and trade routes at that time in the Stone Age era, in the Iron Age era, you will see the routes from here crossing the river in Chirundu.”
Zambia reaffirmed its call for removal of Western sanctions on Zimbabwe, with Hichilema saying the measures hamper development and affect neighbouring countries.
The two countries also agreed on an arrangement allowing Zambia to import electricity from the region through Zimbabwe, with technical discussions scheduled quarterly and finalisation expected by March 31, 2026.
The commission convened under the theme “United by History, Transforming Our Shared Future Together for Prosperity.” The next session is scheduled for November 2027 in Lusaka, Zambia.
Both delegations included foreign affairs ministers and senior government officials from various sectors.
