Zimbabwe is seeking cooperation with Russia in the establishment of special economic zones in the African country, according to Vice President Constantino Chiwenga during a visit to the "Kulibin" special economic zone (SEZ) in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast on the sidelines of the annual Digital Industry of Industrial Russia (CIPR) conference.
"Russia is one of the most developed countries and a BRICS member. We seek cooperation with it within the framework of our special economic zones. ... That is why we came [to the territory of the Kulibin SEZ] — to understand how the planning and development of the special economic zone was carried out," Chiwenga was quoted as saying by ZBC television.
The Vice President of Zimbabwe emphasized that the country views Russia as an important strategic partner in industrial and economic development. Following the visit, Chiwenga noted that Zimbabwe intends to adopt some of the successful strategies implemented at Kulibin — particularly in infrastructure planning, the formation of industrial clusters, and the organization of export-oriented production.
According to ZBC, Zimbabwe seeks to adopt the experience of the Russian SEZ model, as the government intends to strengthen the Zimbabwe Special Economic Zones Authority and promote industrialization within the framework of the national development program "Vision 2030."
Additionally, speaking on the sidelines of CIPR, Chiwenga stated that Zimbabwe intends to adopt Russia's experience in technological transformation, artificial intelligence, and digitalization.
"The Russian economy has undergone significant digitalization, and this is an area in which Zimbabwe also seeks to make a leap by digitizing all aspects of economic development," the Vice President of Zimbabwe said.
In April, the Zimbabwean government identified at least eight mining sites — predominantly lithium and iron ore — for designation as special economic zones.
The XI International CIPR Conference took place from May 18 to 21 in Nizhny Novgorod. The event was attended by more than 13,000 participants from all regions of Russia and 46 countries worldwide. CIPR is a key platform for discussing the digital transformation of industry, the implementation of domestic technologies, and the strengthening of technological sovereignty.