International cooperation

BSAA - ZIMBABWE: FRIENDSHIP VISIT

In the morning, on May 24, a delegation of the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development of Zimbabwe were met at the main ritual square of the country's leading agricultural university - Belarusian State Agricultural Academy.

The purpose of the delegation headed by Dr. J.Dondofema, Director of the Department of Agricultural Education of the Ministry, was to get acquainted with the experience of obtaining agricultural education in the Belarusian State the Orders of the October Revolution and the Labour Red Banner Agricultural Academy.

On the square near the fountain, African guests were greeted by a representative delegation of the Academy, headed by First Vice-Rector Andrei Kolmykov. A.V.Kolmykov, and the head of the international department S.A. Noskova, who also acted as a translator, in the educational building No.10 showed guests the gallery of portraits of academy leaders through the period of its glorious history of more than 180 years. With special interest, African guests looked through the Symbolic Book of Knowledge and the entry on its pages, which was left in 1995 by a graduate of the Academy, the current President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko. There is also a special stand on which the latest awards of the leading university are placed.

An interested conversation took place in a small conference room. The first vice-rector represented BSAA as a modern leading educational, scientific and production center of the country. He expressed confidence that our ties will be strengthened. And that in the near future, graduates of agricultural colleges from Zimbabwe will come to study in Belarus. The speech of the first vice-rector was supplemented by a video in English. After that, an exchange of views took place. Dr. J.Dondofema thanked Belarusian friends for the warm welcome and presentation of the university. He also added that what they had seen will greatly facilitate their task - to study the Belarusian experience in order to use it in the interests of Zimbabwe. This experience will be put into the programme of cooperation between BSAA and agricultural colleges, which are 8 in Zimbabwe. Since agriculture is the basis of the economy in this country, the task of training highly professional personnel is of particular relevance for the agricultural industry. The guests hope for the fruitful cooperation in this sphere.

- We had a chance to see how high the level of higher education you have is. And we will be glad if our students receive education at BSAA. Moreover, you have practical-oriented training of specialists. And this is a good way to transfer knowledge to students. Our visit is designed to succeed, - said Dr. J. Dondofema. The guests appreciated the fact that the BSAA pays great attention to sports, amateur performances, etc., which is also typical for the student youth of Zimbabwe.

Our reference:

The beginning of active international cooperation with Zimbabwe was marked by an official visit of the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko to this country in the end of this January. On January 31, the Belarusian leader held negotiations with Zimbabwean President Emerson Mnangagwa, as a result of which a package of bilateral documents was signed. On the 2nd of May Alexander Lukashenko signed Decree No. 129, which approved the Agreement on the establishment of the Joint Standing Commission for Cooperation between our countries. This most important document was concluded in Harare on January 31, 2023 during the state visit of the President of Belarus to Zimbabwe. Our republic has opened an embassy in this country and expects that a Zimbabwean diplomatic mission will soon appear in Minsk. During the January visit, Alexander Lukashenko said that Belarus is always ready to lend a shoulder to Zimbabwe in any situation. "We will put the results of this visit on the scale of peace and progress," the head of state said.

Lyudmila GONCHAROVA.

Photo: Aleksander GURIKOV.