Zimbabwe has been invited to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit that is happening in London this week.
This is the first time the southern African nation has been invite for the meeting since 2003 when former president Robert Mugabe withdrew it from the Commonwealth.
The withdrawal came after the body had suspended Zimbabwe to pressure it to restore rule of law.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail, Secretary for Foreign Affairs and International Trade Joey Bimha said the invitation to attend the Commonwealth was an indication of reciprocity to the country’s efforts to re-engage with the West.
Foreign minister Sibusiso Moyo will lead a delegation to the Summit, though his country will only have an observer status and will not be allowed in the planned deliberations.
“The minister has been invited by his British counterpart for a visit. He is going to attend the meeting, but he will not participate,” Bimha said.
“We are not privy to the agenda of the summit since we are not participants… But this shows that our re-engagement exercise is working,” he said.
Prior to the London Summit, Moyo will make an official call on the United States to meet American government authorities.
After the Commonwealth Summit, the FM will then travel to Brussels to meet head of Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini.
