Stephane Toulet, the French deputy ambassador in Harare, The Zimbabwean on Thursday that after her visit in Pretoria, Mrs Idrac would spend a few hours in Harare on Friday afternoon, 29 May 2009.
Toulet also revealed that her delegation consisted of about 10 people, including members of her Cabinet, heads of Economic Department for Southern Africa, the Deputy General Manager of the French International Agency for Development (AFD), Jean-Michel Debrat and a member of the French Senate, Ladislas Poniatovski, a member of the Commission of Foreign Affairs.
In Harare Idrac and her delegation would have meetings with Finance Minister Tendai Biti, Economic Planning Minister, Elton Mangoma and Industry and Commerce minister Welshman Ncube.
“After her meetings in Harare, on the same day, Mrs Idrac will fly to Cape Town, South Africa, where she is due to have further economic meetings with SA officials,” the deputy French ambassador.
“Her mission is part of a larger assessment mission on the economic prospects in the region which includes Angola and South Africa. It has a particular significance in Zimbabwe, which has experienced since February 2009 a new political dispensation and a new economic era. It must be noted that this French ministerial visit is the first since Deputy minister of cooperation Jacques Godfrain’s one in 1996,” she said.
“It strongly marks France willingness to support Prime Minister Tsvangirai’s government on the way towards stabilisation and recovery.
In the wake of Mrs Idrac’s visit, an AFD mission will take place in Harare on 1 and 2 June. This upward trend in France-Zimbabwe relations will be epitomized with PM Tsvangirai’s visit in Paris at the end of June 2009,” added the deputy ambassador.
Diplomatic sources said the visit by Madam Idrac augured well for the inclusive government, which desperately needs financial support from the West to bank, roll its operations.
The French government, just like other Western nations, including the United States and Britain, slammed President Robert Mugabe’s previous government with targeted sanctions resulting in failure by the government to access crucial lines of credit and other international aid.
The visit by the French secretary for State responsible for foreign trade was a confirmation of the thawing relations between the West and Zimbabwe, analysts noted.
The French delegation Friday visit comes hard on the heels of a flurry of similar missions by a number of African, Western and Nordic countries to Zimbabwe since the formation of the coalition government in February, among them Denmark, Norway, and the United Kingdom. South Africa recently sent a delegation comprising private investors in a show of confidence for the new government.
On Monday this week Norway announced it was resuming aid to the troubled government it cut off in 2000 citing alleged irregularities in the controversial general elections in which the Movement for Democratic change nearly upset ZANU PF.
The Norwegian government, one of the first to renew aid with the new government, said it would immediately pump US$9, 17 million via non-governmental organisations, the World Bank and United Nations, avoiding the governmental financial system.
The money would help boost the health, education and support the coalition government which has sent out a begging bowl to raise about US$8,2 million it badly needs to bank roll operations.
In a clear sign the Western countries are warming up to the new government German has pumped in 10 million Euros, Australia US$16 million and Britain announced 15 million pounds in humanitarian aid.
Post published in: Economy