via President arrives in Austria | The Herald 3 November 2014 by Mduduzi Mathuthu
PRESIDENT Mugabe arrived here yesterday morning ahead of the Second United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) which gets underway today.
The President, who is accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi, touched down in thick fog at the Vienna International Airport and was received by Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Austria, Grace Mutandiro, and Austrian government officials.
The conference, which brings together participants from the governments of LLDCs, transit developing countries and donor countries, the UN and other international organisations, was first held in Almaty, Uzbekistan, in 2003.
The LCCDs are seeking solutions to difficulties faced by developing countries without access to the sea, mainly high transport costs, which have become a barrier to international trade.
President Mugabe will join the leaders and representatives of the 31 countries that are members of the UN group as they shape the new development agenda for the landlocked developing countries for the next decade.
He is scheduled to deliver his keynote speech at the conference on Tuesday. Today, President Mugabe will give a brief “national statement”, and will share the stage with Bolivian President Evo Morales Ayma, who is also the present chair of the G77+China, as well the Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili, among others.
Austrian President Heinz Fischer will open the conference.
In their deliberations during the three-day forum, which ends on Wednesday, the leaders will assess the state of the global commitment to addressing the special needs of landlocked developing countries, with a special focus on infrastructure development, transit and trade facilitation to reduce prohibitive transport costs and enable those countries to fully participate in the global trade.
President Mugabe is banned from travelling to Europe as part of a raft of economic and other sanctions imposed by the bloc in 2002 after Zimbabwe took land from white settlers to give to landless blacks, but he is free to attend United Nations events on European soil.
COMMENTS
He has gone to sleep while other president search for solutions. At 90, its expected……Rest well in Austria your excellence
So Mugabe will deliver the “keynote speech”. What a laugh! Zimbabwe will get nothing from these sort of conferences whilst they are represented by a man who’s only interests are to abuse and lecture the people who are trying to help.
Instead of sorting out the devastating mess he created in Graceland the senile criminal hops off for European shopping with an entourage of zpf thieves in tow. Maybe there’ll be a coup in their ” graces ” absences. The final countdown. Pamberi regime change.
Paso criminal terrorists wearing pampers. Pamberi regime change
Probably he will Stash more money in Austria
No mention of Disgrace!?
I thought the President was tired of traveling? Rome,Vienna? Surely we csn exchange ideas via Internet conferencing?
No Mpisi, Mugabe did not say he was tired of traveling, he said he was tired of others traveling (that is when not with him)..
Mugabe is tired of others traveling (apart from those that travel with him)
I sure it was better to sort out the Grace and Mujuru saga than waste time on conference which bring nothing.
why let this ebola ridden dog into Austria in the first place???
While Zimbabwe burns and the economy crashes. It is time for him to retire! Period! full stop! Endo of story! no room for discussion! What are ZPF doing?????
Bet you Geriatric and delegation are staying at a very very posh hotel
The old donkey is tired. The other day he was accusing ministers of all travel and no work…yet he is in the forefront of this all- travel and no work regime. Zuro Newyork, nhasi Rome, Mangwana Austria, next week Singapore, following week Malaysia. svichafira muchadenga. Ngasvigare pasi pasi…svozadza vamwe svina dotting around the world in pampers!