Mugabe Says Sanctions Shackling Zimbabwe's GrowthPresident Robert Mugabe has continued his message to western countries, like the United States, which still have maintained targeted sanctions on him, his wife Grace, and other top officials, to drop them. "We call for the unconditional and immediate removal of these sanctions in the spirit of the transformative agenda we are all about to subscribe to." President Mugabe, in part of his message to the United Nations body Friday, said the sanctions were counter-productive to his country's efforts to better its economy and improve the lives of its citizens. He said lifting the sanctions will create a more welcoming environment for potential investors. "The reforms we are undertaking, including measures to attract investments, will materialize if the unjustified sanctions Zimbabwe has been subjected to for the past 15-years are removed," said President Mugabe. While many countries, including several in the European Union and Australia have revised and eased their sanctions, retaining only President Mugabe, his wife and a private entity on the list, the U.S. has continued to maintain and extend sanctions on the president and his close associates as well as business, annually, saying not enough reforms have been implemented. But Mr. Mugabe argued, the sanctions are prohibitive in this regard. "Freed of the fetters of sanctions my country stands a better chance of achieving our national vision of sustainable growth, human-centered development, and structural transformation and poverty eradication," he said.