Zimbabwe: Venezuela Backs Zim’s UN Security Council Bid
Venezuela has become the latest country to pledge its full support for Zimbabwe’s bid for non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council during the 2027-2028 terms.
Since the launch of Zimbabwe’s campaign for the bid by President Mnangagwa a fortnight ago, Harare has received several endorsements from countries and international organisations, including most recently Japan, China, Russia, India, Cuba and Palestine.
Sadc and the African Union have also pledged their support for Zimbabwe.
To secure a non-permanent seat on the council a country requires a majority vote in the General Assembly.
Venezuela’s support was conveyed during a meeting between Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Professor Amon Murwira and his Venezuelan counterpart Mr Yvan Gil Pinto, on the sidelines of the ongoing 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, in New York, United States.
Mr Pinto said Zimbabwe and Venezuela enjoy “firm brotherly relations” hence Caracas’ support of Harare’s bid.
“Well, we had a great meeting with the minister from Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe and Venezuela are two brother countries that have an excellent, firm relationship and we have always been supportive in the multilateral fora.
“And we are going to support your candidature for the non-permanent member post in the Security Council, and I’m sure you are going to play a great role,” he said.
The Venezuelan minister said Zimbabwe’s bid was a good representation of Africa and the global South, as well as for the defence of the UN Charter.
Zimbabwe has also previously served in the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member twice, during 1983 to 1984 and 1991 to 1992.
Minister Pinto also divulged that he would be visiting Zimbabwe as part of efforts to increase bilateral cooperation.
“And we have also made progress in bilateral issues. Soon, I will be visiting Harare to establish concrete actions for our cooperation,” he said.
Prof Murwira said Zimbabwe was appreciative of Venezuela’s pledge of fealty. Both countries are part of the Group of Friends in Defence of the Charter of the United Nations.
“We have had very fruitful discussions with my brother, my colleague, the minister of the Republic of Venezuela, and as he has said, they are supporting us in our bid for the non-permanent seat for the United Nations Security Council.
“And we are together in a group of friends in defence of the Charter that Venezuela is leading very well, to the extent that we now have December 4 as a day of commemorating this,” he said.
The Group of Friends in Defence of the Charter of the United Nations was launched on July 6, 2021, in New York, and is composed of 18 Member States: Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, China, Cuba, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mali, Nicaragua, the State of Palestine, the Russian Federation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Syria, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.
The grouping’s main objective is to issue a message in support of the UN Charter, seeking to promote multilateralism and diplomacy over the use of force in response to perceived violations by other UN Member States.
In this respect, Prof Murwira said Zimbabwe was against coercive action, which is unsanctioned by the United Nations. “And we are together in the promotion of peace and co-existence and non-interference in the affairs of Venezuela, and Zimbabwe supports that, and Venezuela supports the same idea that sovereignty of nations is a very sacrosanct tenet of the United Nations, that should always be upheld,” he said.
On a bilateral level, the Foreign Affairs Minister said Zimbabwe and Venezuela were working towards building on the existing cordial political relations between the two countries. “So on the bilateral level, we have discussed issues of making sure that we convert our political excellent relations into economic relations, and do many other things together, so that we make the Global South stronger, and we are together,” said Prof Murwira.
By The Herald.
