Mugabe rolls out red carpet for Iranian leader

• Iran to build gas power plant in Zimbabwe

• Chinese radar, anti-air missiles for Mugabe's palace

• Mugabe wants Zimbabweans to learn Chinese

• Mugabe hails China

• Mugabe looks to China

• Parliament seeks clarity on Zim's US$200m China jet order

• Mugabe spends US$200m on new jets

• Eskom eases pressure on Zesa with deal

By Agencies

IRANIAN President Mohammed Khatami arrived in Zimbabwe Monday to a red carpet welcome from his counterpart Robert Mugabe with whom he is due to hold talks over two days.

Khatami, on a seven-nation tour of Africa, was warmly greeted at Harare's international airport by Mugabe and his two vice-presidents and received a 21-gun salute, an AFP correspondent reported.

There was tight security at the airport and the route to the city with armed soldiers dotting the road.

He was due to hold one-to-one talks with Mugabe later Monday and follow up discussions on Tuesday. The Iranian leader will also visit the Victoria Falls before flying out on Wednesday.

The two leaders are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding, the details of which were not immediately available.

Iran is one of the countries Mugabe has been warming up to following his "Look East" policy, partly forced by Zimbabwe's isolation from the West over controversial land reforms and allegedly fraud-marred elections in 2000 and 2002.
AFP
JOIN THE DEBATE ON THIS ARTICLE ON THE NEWZIMBABWE.COM FORUMS
newsdesk@newzimbabwe.com