Iran, Zimbabwe Urged to Form Joint Business Council

TEHRAN (Iran News) Speaking at a session with the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade of Zimbabwe, Ghadir Ghiyafeh emphasized that the two economies can operate as complementary partners. Highlighting Iran’s 22 million educated youth, vast mineral reserves, and strong high-tech and mining industries, he noted that Zimbabwe—a young nation with a GDP of $53 billion and 6.6% growth—also benefits from significant agricultural and mining potential. “Together, these capacities create promising prospects for mutually beneficial cooperation,” he said.

Ghiyafeh underscored Iran’s expertise in mining, mineral industries, and power generation—including electric, thermal, and solar plants—as well as pharmaceuticals and medical technologies. Iranian products in these fields, he said, are competitive and high quality. Combining Iran’s technology and experience with Zimbabwe’s natural resources and youthful workforce could result in a strong private-sector partnership.

He identified mining and mineral processing as Iran’s primary proposal for bilateral cooperation. Joint investment in the sector, particularly in downstream mineral processing, would be profitable for both sides, he said. Agriculture, food industries, and the supply of agricultural machinery offer additional opportunities. Establishing processing units near Zimbabwean farms, he added, could generate stable employment and deepen economic ties.

Ghiyafeh also referenced energy and infrastructure projects as areas of interest, including construction of power and gas plants, combined-cycle stations, electricity transmission lines, and small to medium solar plants for Zimbabwe’s mines and industrial zones. Iran also has strong capabilities in pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, and healthcare training.

Proposing the creation of an Iran–Zimbabwe Joint Business Council, Ghiyafeh said Iran is ready to prepare a list of priority private-sector projects and dispatch evaluation teams to Zimbabwe to move cooperation into an operational phase in the coming months.

Bahram Shakouri, head of the Iran Chamber’s Mining and Mineral Industries Commission, said Zimbabwe’s rich geological potential provides fertile ground for cooperation. Iran’s strengths in exploration, extraction, and especially mineral processing could support significant joint developments.

Shakouri noted that investor interest from Iran is strong, but reducing policy risks in Zimbabwe would help attract capital and technology more efficiently. He announced that an Iranian delegation specializing in mining will visit Zimbabwe in the coming months and requested detailed information on investable projects to help refine the mission’s agenda.

Tim Bindi, Zimbabwe’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, said his country is shifting toward a market-driven economic model, with the government focused on enabling private-sector activity. Zimbabwe aims to create favorable conditions and guarantees for joint investments and foreign participation.

Calling Zimbabwe’s farmland highly fertile, he emphasized opportunities in agricultural mechanization and irrigation systems, targeting both domestic needs and potential exports to Iran. He also welcomed Iranian participation in mineral exploration, extraction, and processing, and expressed interest in Iranian companies helping build power and gas plants to address Zimbabwe’s infrastructure and energy deficits.

Bindi highlighted Zimbabwe’s strategic role as a gateway to African markets. As a member of regional economic blocs—including COMESA and the Southern African Development Community—the country provides Iranian firms with broad market access.

Encouraging cooperation in pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, he invited Iranian businesses to engage in Zimbabwe’s economic projects and expressed hope that an Iranian trade delegation would attend Zimbabwe’s international trade fair in April 2026.