Source: VP Chiwenga engages FAO, papacy – herald
Mukudzei Chingwere in ROME, Italy
VICE PRESIDENT Dr Constantino Chiwenga is in Italy for scheduled meetings with the United Nations food security and nutrition agency, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), and the Roman Catholic Church.
Both meetings will discuss investment opportunities in Zimbabwe where the Catholic Church has plans to roll out programmes aimed at promoting education for girls, heath services support, youth empowerment and other social development projects, while FAO is keen to consolidate on the country’s national food security strategies.
The Vice President’s working visit comes on the back of Pope Francis’ burial here last week and has been invited back to discuss social investment, itself timely, particularly as Zimbabwe battles social ills such as drug and substance abuse.
The initiatives were first mooted by Pope Francis and work on how these will be implemented had already begun and the church is keen to have this continued.
“We are here to attend the pilgrimage of hope declared by Pope Francis, this is a special year of reconciliation, pilgrimage, and coming home,” VP Chiwenga told journalists on arrival.
“I am also scheduled to meet the Papacy, the cardinals have now started the processes of electing a new Pope, but we will have a meeting with the Vatican Secretary for Relations with States within the Holy See Archbishop Paul Gallagher.
“But when we are here, we take the opportunity to visit other areas of interest to Zimbabwe.
“We will also have a meeting with the Director-General of the FAO where we will discuss areas of mutual cooperation,” he said.
FAO has previously endorsed Zimbabwe agricultural plan, summing up that the direction taken by Government will not only lead to national food self-sufficiency, but will also see Zimbabwe becoming a food producer that other countries can rely on.
As it paces up with the strategy to make sure that no one starves in the country, Government has also emphasised the need to benchmark all its interventions with the best international practices and interfaces like the one with FAO is part of the strategy.
The working visit will also see the VP interfacing with other key economic players and fund managers keen on Zimbabwean opportunities.
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