President Levy Mwanawasas has arrived in the Portuguese Capital, Lisbon, today to attend the European Union (EU)/ African Union (AU) Summit which opens tomorrow.
Dr. Mwanawasa arrived in Lisbon at around 16:35 Zambian time after concluding a three-day official visit to the Federal Republic of Germany.
The President was welcomed at Lisbon International Airport by Portugal’s Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Joao Gomes Cravinho and senior government officials.
Foreign Affairs Minister Kabinga Pande, Zambia’s Ambassador to Italy Lucy Mung’oma and other senior Zambian government officials were also on hand to receive the President.
Others who are in trhe adavance party of the Zambian delegation are Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Felex Mutati and State House Deputy Minister Richard Taima.
In Germany, President Mwanawasa held several meetings including private talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Federal President Horst Kohler.
The two-day Africa-Europe Summit has been convened in Lisbon as part of the efforts to forge stronger political and economic ties between the two continents.
Top on the agenda of the Lisbon Summit are issues on human rights, good governance, global warming, immigration and trade.
The build up to the summit has been controversal with British Prime Minister Gorden Brown staying away from the meeting because of misunderstandings with President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.
At a joint press briefing in Berlin with President Mwanawasa, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said other EU member states were going to be present at the Lisbon Summit despite Britain’s boycot.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwean leader Robert Mugabe including other 52 African leaders is expected in Lisbon today for his first EU Summit in seven years.
At the instance of the AU, however, Portugal invited all African leaders including President Mugabe to attend the summit.
