Zimbabwe 85-year-old president Robert Mugabe has said leaders of the new inclusive government will together lobby for complete removal of sanctions.

Speaking at his 85th birthday celebrations in Chinhoyi on Saturday, Mugabe said there would be a forceful campaign for their removal.

"Together we shall forcefully campaign for sanctions to be completely removed," he said.

He said though principal players belong to different political formations they would speak with a single voice concerning the issue.

Mugabe said the three-week-old inclusive government would also work towards immediate revival of the economy that has been, for nine years, on the decline.

"We remain different political entities but we shall together bring appreciable turnaround to the economy. Through the inclusive government we hope to unite our efforts as a nation and push with renewed vigour various sectoral development programmes," he said.

The president said thrust would be placed on sectors that are critical to the value of Zimbabwe which include the mining, agricultural and social utilities sectors.

Zimbabwe has reeled from Western and European imposed targeted sanctions for the last five years which have battered the economy.

The country has experienced the worst rate of inflation in the world estimated at 213 percent.

There have been indications that Zimbabwe could use the South African Rand as its official currency.

(Xinhua News Agency March 1, 2009)