India, Zimbabwe review entire gamut of bilateral relations during 3rd Foreign Office Consultations

New Delhi, Aug 6 (PTI) India and Zimbabwe on Tuesday reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations in a key meeting during which both sides also took stock of the current status of their ties and sought to explore avenues for further deepening cooperation.

The third Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between India and Zimbabwe were held in Harare, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

The Indian side was led by Puneet R Kundal, Additional Secretary (East & Southern Africa), MEA, and the Zimbabwean side was led by Mike Chigiji, Chief Director (Political), Ministry of Foreign Affairs & International Trade of Zimbabwe.

"Both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations between the two countries, including existing institutional mechanisms such as the Joint Commission and the Joint Trade Committee," it said.

Sectoral cooperation in the fields of defence, agriculture, health, mines, minerals and geology, digital platforms, education, training and capacity building and cultural exchanges were also discussed.

Both sides also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, including cooperation in the UN, the statement said.

"The discussions provided an opportunity for both sides to take stock of the current status of bilateral relations and explore avenues for further deepening these relations. It was agreed to hold the next FOC at a mutually convenient dates in New Delhi," it added. PTI KND AS AS