Belgium has pledged to write off Zambia’s debt of more than K21 billion (US$5 million), with President Mwanawasa calling on investors from that country to consider investing their money in various developmental areas.
Belgium’s Ambassador to Zambia, Peter Maddens, said his country had authorised him to sign a debt relief agreement with Zambia amounting to $5 million and that he would soon be taking care of the formalities for the agreement.
Mr Maddens was speaking when he presented letters of credence to President Mwanawasa at State House in Lusaka yesterday at which Kuwait, Swaziland and Sudan representatives also presented theirs.
“My Government takes its responsibility vis-a-vis Africa seriously and particular its responsibility in terms of debt relief. In that context it is an honour to inform you that I have been authorised to sign a debt relief agreement with Zambia in the amount of $5 million,†he said.
Mr Maddens, who would be resident in Tanzania, said the two countries had enjoyed good relations and should continue to work together for peace, stability and development for the benefit of Zambia and other countries.
He said the two countries had similar commercial and consular challenges to achieve similar goals in the Central and South-Eastern Africa .
And Mr Mwanawasa said Zambia was aware of Belgium’s efforts towards promoting strong ties with African countries and commended the country for support especially in education.
He said through the Belgium Association for Development Cooperation and Technical assistance, Zambia had received assistance to community schools in Central Province. The other area was provision of scholarships to Zambian doctors and researchers.
He said Zambia was a country endowed with vast resources and the Government was committed to developing the resources.
He called on Belgian investors to come and help develop Zambia.
He said Zambia had signed a number of agreements for the promotion and protection of investments with European Union member states.
Meanwhile, Mr Mwanawasa has expressed concern at the persistent crisis and deterioration of the situation in the Darfur region of Sudan.
He said there was no conflict that could not be resolved through peaceful means.
Speaking when he received letters of credence from Sudanese ambassador to Zambia Hassan Farag, President Mwanawasa appealed to all parties to the Durfur Peace agreement signed in Abuja in May last year to go back to the negotiating table and implement the agreement.
He implore the Sudanese government to consider persuading rebels who had raised objections to the 2006 peace agreement to come to the negotiating table.
He however, commended his Sudanese counterpart, Omar Hassan Al-bashir and his government, for reportedly agreeing to the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping mission and hoped that there would be no further hesitation in facilitating the idea.
Zambia acknowledged with gratitude the technical assistance that Sudan had rendered in the development of Zambian human resources in agriculture, defence and security as well as diplomacy.
Earlier, Mr Farag said his country appreciated the role Zambia played during the liberation struggle for African countries and commended the nation for maintaining peace and unity.
He said Sudan was committed to working with Zambia in various developmental programmes that would be of mutual benefits for the two countries.
He pledged that during his stay in Zambia, he would work towards strengthening the already existing bilateral friendship relations.
And Mr Mwanawasa called for the cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of negative foreign forces from conflict zones in the Middle East to promote the search for peaceful settlement within the shortest possible time in the face of the war and many conflicting situations.
He said this when he received letters of credence from State of Kuwait ambassador to Zambia, Saudi Al-Daweesh, who would be resident in South Africa.
He said the bilateral relations existing could develop further only if countries enjoyed peace and stability and their immediate environments shared the benefits of peace, security and stability.
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How many countries does Zambia owe money? It seems it’s the entire world, and this is what our leaders are good at, and when the people from these countries come to invest, the people complain. Greediness. Last i read in the news,Zambia had gotten a loan of oil supply from Somalia. When will our prideness ever resurface? Proud people don’t go round the world begging the entire world. Belgium has no natural resource’s, there should be no reason why they should write off the debt when the leader’s will easily move around the figure’s and the money is in their pocket’s.Aaaaahhh,even Sudan is assisting Zambia. I think i have not read correctly.I thought Sudan was at war, but it is written above that Sudan is assisting Zambia in technical assistance in agriculture, defence and security as well as diplomacy. I think Zambian’s and their leaders are just proud for nothing.No wonder, the world knows Zambia and sub-sahara for begging including bigheads like Mandela.
Kayata , what is of paramount interest is what did the people of Zambia benefit out of all these borrowings?Do these guys do business plans to justify their borrowings? Its time the lenders behaved like professionals, a country with such poor credit rating must not be entertained,there is nothing to show for in all these loans.Begging wont take us anywhere, Mugabe with his big problems paid off IMF debts to zero because he understands that business is business , you cant for 43years always going round with a begging bow,surely we must grow out of this disgraceful act, we must be seen to work,the situation is deplorable and the leaders that be have no shame to speak about same things 24/7 ,365days.The colonial masters left Zambia with a strong economy so where have we gone wrong?We need leaders with vast business and international understanding to come out of this mess,otherwise relying on these party cadres is doing us great harm than good
Chilumba, if the colonial masters left us with a good economy, i would suggest their return,so we could live as human beings again.I mean it’s fair to have them andhave a good management system,and every citizen is benefiting from the revenue the govt generates than,and afterall they will be no stealing,because the west believe in jailing and that’s final,no immunities or stories like that. And we are the first to be proud of human right’s, when the govt is in the lead of abuse of it by making it’s citizens suffer, no pays, low pay, destroying their business stalls,houses without altenative. foolish govt.
kQW4BR comment3 ,
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