STATEMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY MR EDGAR CHAGWA LUNGU, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA WHEN HE RECEIVES LETTERS OF CREDENCE FROM AMBASSADORS AND HIGH COMMISSIONERS-DESIGNATE ACCREDITED TO THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA THURSDAY, 14TH DECEMBER, 2017

YOUR EXCELLENCIES,

AMBASSADORS AND HIGH COMMISSIONERS:

I WISH TO FORMALLY WELCOME YOU TO ZAMBIA AND TO STATE HOUSE IN PARTICULAR. LET ME CONGRATULATE YOUR EXCELLENCIES ON YOUR APPOINTMENTS AS AMBASSADORS AND HIGH COMMISSIONERS TO THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA.

YOU HAVE JOINED A VIBRANT DIPLOMATIC COMMUNITY IN LUSAKA. ZAMBIA VALUES THE WARM RELATIONS SHARED WITH EACH COUNTRY REPRESENTED HERE, PREMISED ON MUTUAL RESPECT, TRUST AND COOPERATION AT BOTH BILATERAL AND MULTILATERAL LEVELS.

I AM CONFIDENT THAT YOUR APPOINTM

Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador John Bulawayo (right) escorts Swaziland High Commissioner to Zambia Dumisile Sukati during the presentation of Credentials at State House in Lusaka on Thursday, December 14,2017. PICTURE BY SALIM HENRY/STATE HOUSE ©2017 PRESENTATION OF CREDENTIALS 14.12.2017

PRESENTATION OF CREDENTIALS 14.12.2017

PRESENTATION OF CREDENTIALS 14.12.2017

PRESENTATION OF CREDENTIALS 14.12.2017

ENTS TO REPRESENT YOUR RESPECTIVE GOVERNMENTS IN ZAMBIA WILL SERVE TO FURTHER ENHANCE OUR RELATIONS AND TRANSCEND OUR BILATERAL AND MULTILATERAL COOPERATION TO GREATER HEIGHTS.

YOUR EXCELLENCY, MR. SYLVAIN BERGER,

 AMBASSADOR OF THE REPUBLIC OF FRANCE:

I RECALL WITH FOND MEMORIES, MY STATE VISIT TO FRANCE IN FEBRUARY 2016, DURING WHICH SIX AGREEMENTS WERE SIGNED IN AREAS OF EDUCATION, ENERGY, TRADE AND INVESTMENT, AND BROADCASTING SERVICES.

I AM GLAD TO NOTE THAT PROGRESS HAS BEEN RECORDED IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE AGREEMENTS. I WISH TO URGE YOUR EXCELLENCY TO WORK CLOSELY WITH RELEVANT ZAMBIAN AUTHORITIES TO ACTUALIZE THESE AGREEMENTS.

I ALSO LOOK FORWARD TO FURTHER COLLABORATION WITH FRANCE IN THE TOURISM SECTOR SINCE YOUR COUNTRY IS A WORLD LEADER IN THIS SECTOR.

YOUR EXCELLENCY, MR. MOHAMMED KABIR UMAR,

HIGH COMMISSIONER OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA:

ZAMBIA ACKNOWLEDGES, WITH ADMIRATION, NIGERIA’S PROGRESS AS ONE OF AFRICA’S LARGEST ECONOMIES WITH VIBRANT INDUSTRIAL AND SERVICE SECTORS.

IN THIS REGARD, ZAMBIA WISHES TO CONTINUE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA IN SEVERAL AREAS OF MUTUAL INTEREST, PARTICULARLY IN MANUFACTURING, FINANCIAL SERVICES, ENTERTAINMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS. LET US EXPAND TRADE BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES.

YOUR EXCELLENCY, MR. NGULKHAM JATHOM GANGTE,

HIGH COMMISSIONER OF INDIA:

ZAMBIA AND INDIA ENJOY LONGSTANDING RELATIONS DATING BACK MANY YEARS. THIS IS EVIDENCED BY VARIOUS INDIAN BUSINESSES, WHICH ARE WELL ESTABLISHED IN THIS COUNTRY.

WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR GOVERNMENT’S SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE ZAMBIAN ECONOMY.

WE VALUE THE INDIA-AFRICA PARTNERSHIP, WHICH HAS RESULTED IN YOUR GOVERNMENT’S RECENT INTEREST TO COOPERATE WITH US IN AREAS OF SOLAR ENERGY, INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT, AND AGRICULTURE MECHANISATION, AMONG OTHERS.

YOUR EXCELLENCY, MR. DANIEL L. FOOTE, AMBASSADOR OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:

RELATIONS BETWEEN ZAMBIA AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ARE ANCHORED ON THE PROMOTION OF DEMOCRACY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

OUR RELATIONS ARE ALSO FOCUSED ON THE PROMOTION OF DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES SUCH AS GOOD GOVERNANCE, THE RULE OF LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT TO KEY SECTORS OF THE COUNTRY’S ECONOMY SUCH AS HEALTH UNDER THE U.S. PRESIDENT’S EMERGENCY PLAN FOR AIDS RELIEF (PEPFAR), BUSINESS REFORMS, INCLUDING WATER AND SANITATION PROJECTS UNDER THE MILLENNIUM CHALLENGE ACCOUNT.

YOUR EXCELLENCY, MR. ABDULRAHMAN OMARI JUMA KANIKI, HIGH COMMISSIONER OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA:

ZAMBIA AND THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA HAVE MAINTAINED EXCELLENT RELATIONS. OUR COOPERATION IS PARTICULARLY BASED ON THE PROMOTION OF PEACE AND STABILITY IN SOUTHERN AFRICA AND THE GREAT LAKES REGION.

IN ADDITION, THE TANZANIA-ZAMBIA RAILWAYS AUTHORITY (TAZARA) AND THE TANZANIA- ZAMBIA MAFUTA PIPELINE (TAZAMA) ARE A MARK OF THE STRENGTH OF OUR ECONOMIC TIES.

YOUR EXCELLENCY, MR. ANDRZEJ KANTHAK,

AMBASSADOR OF POLAND:

I WISH TO COMMEND YOUR GOVERNMENT FOR THE “GO AFRICA INITIATIVE,” WHICH IS AIMED AT FOSTERING TRADE AND INVESTMENT LINKAGES BETWEEN POLAND AND THE AFRICAN CONTINENT.

ZAMBIA IS ENDOWED WITH A VERY ATTRACTIVE DESTINATION FOR PROSPECTIVE EXPANSION OF POLISH ENTERPRISES BECAUSE OF HER STABLE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT, ATTRACTIVE FISCAL POLICIES, AVAILABILITY OF SKILLED HUMAN RESOURCE AND ABUNDANT RESOURCE ENDOWMENT.

YOUR EXCELLENCY, MR. YANNIS IACOVOU,

HIGH COMMISSIONER OF THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS:

ZAMBIA CHERISHES RELATIONS WITH THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS. THEREFORE, MY GOVERNMENT IS DETERMINED TO CONTINUE ENGAGING WITH YOUR GOVERNMENT IN PROMOTING OUR BILATERAL TIES, AS WELL AS FORGING STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS IN VARIOUS ECONOMIC SECTORS.

YOUR EXCELLENCY, MR. RIAZ HUSSAIN BUKHARI, AMBASSADOR OF THE REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN:

MY GOVERNMENT LOOKS FORWARD TO WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN TO STRENGTHEN THE EXISTING BILATERAL RELATIONS, AND TO ENHANCE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COOPERATION FOR THE MUTUAL BENEFIT OF OUR TWO COUNTRIES. WE ARE THEREFORE KEEN ON GREATER COOPERATION IN OTHER VARIOUS SECTORS SUCH AS AGRICULTURE, AGRO-PROCESSING AND MANUFACTURING AMONG OTHERS.

YOUR EXCELLENCY, MR. RICHARD KABONERO,

HIGH COMMISSIONER OF THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA:

ZAMBIA AND UGANDA HAVE CONTINUED TO SHARE WARM RELATIONS BASED ON COMMON VALUES AND INTERESTS AS DEMONSTRATED BY SEVERAL EXCHANGE OF VISITS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.

THE ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT, THEREFORE, LOOKS FORWARD TO STRENGTHENING SOCIO-ECONOMIC COOPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES.

YOUR EXCELLENCY, MR. IAN MYLES, HIGH COMMISSIONER OF CANADA:

RELATIONS BETWEEN ZAMBIA AND CANADA ARE PREMISED ON SHARED VALUES AND COMMON INTERESTS WHICH ALLOW OUR TWO COUNTRIES TO DEVELOP A GREATER SCOPE FOR COOPERATION.

IN ADDITION TO CANADA’S SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT IN THE MINING SECTOR, THERE IS ROOM FOR THE TWO COUNTRIES TO FURTHER EXPLOIT THIS COOPERATION IN OTHER SECTORS SUCH AS AGRICULTURE, ENERGY, TECHNOLOGY AND MANUFACTURING.

YOUR EXCELLENCY, MR. KIKKAN HAUGE,

AMBASSADOR OF THE KINGDOM OF NORWAY:

ZAMBIA APPRECIATES THE DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE NORWAY RENDERS TO OUR EDUCATION AND HEALTH SECTORS. THIS SUPPORT SUPPLEMENTS GOVERNMENT’S TO UPLIFT THE LIVES OF ZAMBIANS. I AM HOPEFUL THAT DURING YOUR EXCELLENCY’S TOUR OF DUTY, DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE DESPITE THE CLOSURE OF THE NORWEGIAN EMBASSY IN LUSAKA.

YOUR EXCELLENCY MR. CHEIKH SID’AHMED EL BEKAYE OULD HAMADI, AMBASSADOR OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF MAURITANIA:

ZAMBIA AND MAURITANIA ENJOY WARM BILATERAL RELATIONS. LIKE ZAMBIA, MAURITANIA IS RICH IN MINERAL RESOURCES, AND HAS A THRIVING MINING INDUSTRY. MY GOVERNMENT, THEREFORE, IS COMMITTED TO COLLABORATING WITH MAURITANIA IN THIS SECTOR, AS IT WOULD BE OF BENEFIT TO BOTH OUR COUNTRIES.

YOUR EXCELLENCY, MRS. DUMSILE SUKATI,

 HIGH COMMISSIONER OF THE KINGDOM OF SWAZILAND:

THE STRONG BONDS OF FRIENDSHIP THAT ZAMBIA AND SWAZILAND SHARE CONTINUE TO GROW FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH AS EVIDENCED BY THE RECENT EXCHANGE OF HIGH-LEVEL VISITS BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES.

TODAY, ZAMBIA AND SWAZILAND CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER IN ACHIEVING PEACE AND PROSPERITY BILATERALLY, AND THROUGH REGIONAL BODIES SUCH AS SOUTHERN AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY (SADC) AND THE COMMON MARKET FOR EASTERN AND SOUTHERN AFRICA (COMESA).

 FINALLY, YOUR EXCELLENCIES:

I WISH TO REITERATE MY GOVERNMENT’S COMMITMENT TO PROMOTING CORDIAL RELATIONS WITH YOUR RESPECTIVE GOVERNMENTS.

I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT DURING YOUR RESPECTIVE TOURS OF DUTY, OUR COOPERATION IN VARIOUS FIELDS OF DEVELOPMENT WILL CONTINUE FOR THE MUTUAL BENEFIT OF OUR PEOPLES.

THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS IS AT YOUR DISPOSAL TO FACILITATE YOUR INTERACTION WITH THE ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT. I ONCE AGAIN WELCOME YOU TO ZAMBIA AND URGE YOU TO EXPLORE VARIOUS PARTS OF THE COUNTRY AS YOU ENJOY THE HOSPITALITY OF THE ZAMBIAN PEOPLE.

I THANK YOU.