JOHANNESBURG, August 19. /TASS/. Zimbabwe is grateful to Moscow for assistance in achieving independence and strengthening sovereignty, Christopher Mutsvangwa, a member of the leadership of Zimbabwe's ruling Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party, said at the BRICS Media Forum being held in South Africa's Johannesburg.

Zimbabwe has experienced three difficult moments in its modern history, and each time the Soviet Union and then Russia helped it overcome crises and reach a new level of development, he recalled. After the Second World War, Moscow assisted Zimbabwe and the whole of Africa in the national liberation struggle. Now, as part of BRICS, Russia is participating in the creation of a new and fairer world order. Mutsvangwa emphasized that Zimbabwe would always appreciate the historical role that Moscow played in the establishment of his country’s independence.

The BRICS Media Forum is a non-governmental, non-profit platform for a dialog between the leading media outlets of the BRICS member states. It was established in 2015 at the initiative of the Chinese news agency Xinhua. The BRICS Media Forums are held in the country that hold the rotating BRICS presidency.