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Iran, Zimbabwe Presidents to Sign Bilateral Trade Agreements

   22 April 2010
   Iranian  President  Mahmoud  Ahmadinejad  boards  his  plane to depart
   Tehran's  Mehrabad  airport  for a trip to Zimbabwe and Uganda, 22 Apr
   2010

Photo: AP

   Iranian  President  Mahmoud  Ahmadinejad  boards  his  plane to depart
   Tehran's  Mehrabad  airport  for a trip to Zimbabwe and Uganda, 22 Apr
   2010

   Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visits Zimbabwe Thursday to sign
   an  agreement  on  bilateral  trade  and  investment with the southern
   African nation.

   Ahead  of  the  visit,  the  two  countries' foreign affairs ministers
   affirmed  in  a  statement their mutual commitment to promoting "peace
   and  stability"  and  praised Iran's proposal to host an international
   nuclear disarmament conference.

   They  said  Mr.  Ahmadinejad and Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe will
   sign  agreements  on joint ventures in manufacturing, finance, energy,
   agriculture and water management.

   Friday,  Mr.  Ahmadinejad  is  scheduled  to  formally open Zimbabwe's
   international  trade  fair.  Iran  is the biggest foreign exhibitor at
   this year's fair.

   But former opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, which
   now  rules  with  Mr.  Mugabe's  ZANU-PF  in  a  unity government, has
   condemned  the  visit,  saying  Mr.  Ahmadinejad has a record of human
   rights abuses. The MDC said his visit will send the "wrong message" as
   Zimbabwe works to renew its own image as a democracy. REST

   After  his  stop  in  Zimbabwe,  Mr.  Ahmadinejad is expected to visit
   Uganda.

   The  Ugandan  Foreign  Ministry says the Iranian president will arrive
   Friday  for  discussions on future investment in Uganda's emerging oil
   sector as well as on Iran's nuclear program.

   Iran has been lobbying the east African nation, which holds a rotating
   seat  on  the  United Nations Security Council, to use its position to
   fight sanctions against Iran's nuclear program.

   Mr.  Ahmadinejad  and  President  Yoweri Museveni are also expected to
   discuss  an  earlier  Iranian  pledge  to  help  Uganda  build  an oil
   refinery.  The  United  States  and  other world powers allege Iran is
   trying  to  build  nuclear  weapons, though Tehran insists its nuclear
   program is solely for civilian purposes.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.

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