HARARE (AFP) – Zimbabwe and Botswana officials are to meet this week to resolve a diplomatic stand-off over the detention of three Botswanan game rangers who strayed across the border, state media reported on Sunday.

Botswana has threatened to recall its defence and intelligence envoys from Zimbabwe by end February over what it called Harare's "rebuff" of efforts to resolve the spat since the rangers were arrested tracking animals last month.

Zimbabwe's Home Affairs Minister Giles Mutsekwa told The Sunday Mail newspaper that a meeting will take place this week.

"Government is aware of the matter and we will be meeting with our Tswana counterparts to discuss the arrest of the rangers in the coming week," he was quoted as saying.

"Botswana is our neighbour and the issue of the rangers should not terminate our relations," he added.

"These are our neighbours and they should understand that the matter is before the courts. Government's intervention was, therefore, limited."

The three wildlife officers were arrested and detained after mistakenly entering Zimbabwe while tracking animals.

Botswana said several efforts to resolve the matter, including an attempt by Vice President Mompati Merafhe to meet President Robert Mugabe at a recent African Union meeting, had failed.

"In view of the stance taken by the government of the republic of Zimbabwe to rebuff all attempts... Botswana has taken a decision to recall its defence and intelligence attaches by the end of February 2010," it said last week.

Zimbabwe was expected to reciprocate and recall its attaches by the same date, it said.

"The position of the government of Botswana is that these two posts should be frozen and never be filled," it said.

Relations between Zimbabwe and Botswana have cooled since President Ian Khama, the only leader in southern Africa openly critical of President Robert Mugabe, came to power.