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(HERALD) US eager to mend relations with Zim

US eager to mend relations with Zim
Wednesday, 14 September 2011 02:00
Takunda Maodza Senior Reporter

PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday met the United States Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Charles Ray and the American diplomat expressed his country's eagerness to mend relations with Zimbabwe despite the illegal sanctions Washington imposed on Harare.

The one-hour long meeting was at Mr Ray's request. In an interview after the meeting, Mr Ray regretted that so much time and effort was being wasted on non-productive issues instead of building bridges between the two countries.

"I told the President that my goal is to find ways to make the US-Zimbabwe relations work to improve the lives of the people of Zimbabwe. My focus is on areas we can co-operate, for instance, in the area of business," he said.

Mr Ray said he had been active in the past "four to five months in talking to American and South African businesses" to invest in Zimbabwe.

"While there are challenges there are also opportunities. We spend so much time talking of what we disagree about," he said.

The ambassador said "every coin has two sides" and that "it was time to paint a more realistic picture".

"A number of American companies have been in touch with us. They are interested, but unsure about Zimbabwe," Mr Ray said.

He said there would be a seminar in Washington next month focusing on how to do business in Zimbabwe.

Mr Ray said an accurate picture on the situation in Zimbabwe would be painted at the seminar.

On how he intended to mend ties when illegal sanctions remained in place, Mr Ray said he had "no control over Zidera" (the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act, the law the US used to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe).

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He, however, said there was no need for the illegal embargo once the "situation improves here".

The President and Mr Ray did not discuss diplomatic cables released by whistleblower website WikiLeaks on how the US government has been trying to penetrate Zanu-PF in a bid to cause regime change from within.

Asked whether they discussed WikiLeaks, he said: "No. They (WikiLeaks) never came up."

He also claimed that the stunning revelations by WikiLeaks had not negatively impacted on his diplomatic work in Zimbabwe.
"I met a lot of political and non-political players. I will listen to and talk to everyone. I have not noticed a great difference in my relations with the people," Mr Ray said.

He spoke on the need for Harare and Washington to exchange ideas often in order to build beneficial relations.

He said he had a fruitful discussion with President Mugabe.

"Any discussion with him is fruitful. The man has an encyclopaedia of a brain," Mr Ray said.

Relations between Zimbabwe and the US soured when Washington teamed up with Britain and other European countries and imposed illegal sanctions on Harare.

Zidera prohibits American companies from doing business in Zimbabwe and blocks development and financial aid to Harare from even multilateral institutions.

The US government has also been at the forefront advocating a ban on the sale of the Chiadzwa diamonds despite the fact that the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme gave Zimbabwe the green light to trade in its gems.

Labels: AMBASSADOR, CHARLES RAY, ROBERT MUGABE, ZDERA

posted by MrK @ 2:43 PM