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(TALKZIMBABWE) US Ambassador Ray impressed by President Mugabe

US Ambassador Ray impressed by President Mugabe
Posted by By Our reporter at 13 September, at 19 : 55 PM

UNITED States ambassador to Zimbabwe, Charles Ray, was ecstatic after meeting with President Mugabe. The US envoy – who has recently made overtures to Zanu-PF to mend relations – has met with President Mugabe three times since he presented his credentials to the veteran politician in December 2009.

“Any discussion with him is fruitful. The man has an encyclopaedia of a brain,” said Ambassador Ray, smiling after meeting President Mugabe in Harare on Tuesday. He said all the meetings with President Mugabe were “quite animated and interesting”. He also wrote on his Facebook social networking page: “Just finished a pleasant one-hour chat with President Mugabe.

He added, in response to a question from one of his Facebook friends: “It’s true – he has a fantastic memory for a lot of things. At his age, that’s remarkable and I don’t mind acknowledging it.”

Speaking to reporters after the meeting at the President’s Munhumutapa offices, Ambassador Ray added, “Wished him a good trip to New York, and briefed him on embassy programs,” in reference to the president’s impending visit to New York for the 66th United Nations General Assembly summit of world leaders starting on September 20.

These statements are in contrast to a statement former US Ambassador Christopher Dell made in reference to MDC-T leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, whom he said would”need massive handholding” in the event that he became President of Zimbabwe.http://www.newzimbabwe.com/news-6048-US+envoy+Ray+meets+Mugabe/news.aspx
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“Tsvangirai is also a flawed figure, not readily open to advice, indecisive and with questionable judgment,” Ambassador Dell added.

Ambassador Ray was equally happy with the way in which the state broadcaster, ZBC, covered the meeting during prime time evening news on Tuesday.

“ZBC just aired a fairly balanced report on my meeting with the President,” he wrote on Facebook.

The comments by the US envoy are a break from the usual tone of former US ambassadors who never publicly expressed their admiration for President Mugabe, although leaked diplomatic cables sent to Washington later revealed these sentiments.

In relation to Zimbabwe-US relations, the US ambassador said the two countries can concentrate on areas of agreement and avoid those areas which they have no power over, such as the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act, Zidera, which takes time to repeal.

“I don’t have control over it, I can only make recommendations basing on what I see,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ambassador Ray said he is organising a meeting where local business executives will meet their counterparts in Washington early next month.

He added that it is unfortunate that Washington and Harare have been giving each other mixed messages which have not helped in fostering good relations.

On recent revelations by whistle-blowing website WikiLeaks, Ambassador Ray said they never came up during his meeting with the President, but he has met several Zimbabweans to get a clear picture about the situation on the ground.

Labels: CHARLES RAY, ROBERT MUGABE, WIKILEAKS

posted by MrK @ 4:09 PM