U.K. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson (2nd L) poses for a photograph before talks with his Zimbabwean counterpart Sibusiso Moyo (C) and other delegations at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London, U.K., on April 20, 2018.

The U.K. has said it would strongly support Zimbabwe's re-entry into the Commonwealth, a 53-nation bloc of former British colonies that could bring economic benefit to the once-pariah African state.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and his Zimbabwean counterpart Sibusiso Moyo met Friday at a roundtable at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in London.

"The U.K. would strongly support Zimbabwe's re-entry" into the Commonwealth, a press release from the U.K. Foreign and Commonwealth Office said.

"The historic meeting ushers in a new era in U.K.-Zimbabwe relations and symbolizes Zimbabwe's commitment to engaging meaningfully with the international community."

The meeting signifies the latest step in Zimbabwe's attempt to reinstate its relationships with other countries, after decades of international isolation under former President Robert Mugabe.