President Mugabe Return to Zimbabwe

[XXPANTHAXX]

PRESIDENT Mugabe returned home yesterday after an official
visit to Cuba and taking part at the United Nations world
summit and the 60th session of the General Assembly in New
York.

Cde Mugabe and his delegation, which included the First Lady
Cde Grace Mugabe and senior Government officials, was met at
Harare International Airport by Vice President Joyce Mujuru,
Cabinet ministers, senior civil servants and service chiefs.

The Zimbabwean delegation touched down at the airport in the
morning from the Egyptian capital Cairo, where they had made
a stop-over.

During the first leg of the trip, Cde Mugabe made an official
visit to Cuba where he held talks with his Cuban counterpart
Cde Fidel Castro.

Speaking to journalists in Havana, the Cuban capital,
President Mugabe said the visit was meant for the Zimbabwean
and Cuban delegations to exchange views and share ideas given
that the two countries were both grappling with economic
sanctions imposed illegally by the United States and some
European countries.

During the visit, the President addressed Zimbabwean students
studying in Cuba and briefed them on the situation at home
touching on economic, social and political fronts.

He also met African diplomats accredited to Cuba and told
them that Africa should not compromise its position on the
reform of the UN.

From Cuba, the Zimbabwean delegation proceeded to New York
where it took part in deliberations at the UN summit to
review the Millennium Development Goals and discuss the
proposed reform of the world body.

The President addressed to the 60th session of the General
Assembly and warned that reform of the UN must reflect the
will of all nations, and not be dictated by a few powers.

Developing countries faced numerous challenges in achieving
the desired targets. The challenges included HIV and Aids,
recurrent droughts and, in the case of Zimbabwe, the illegal
sanctions imposed by Britain, the US and their Western
allies.

Before addressing the General Assembly, the President met the
UN Secretary General Mr Kofi Annan and discussed the expected
visit of the world body’s chief to Zimbabwe and the UN’s
willingness to assist Harare with food aid.

In his address to the General Assembly, Cde Mugabe lambasted
Britain for using the Security Council to score cheap
political points in its bilateral dispute with Zimbabwe.