Thursday, March 28, 2024

President Lungu courts west, east diplomats for development

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President Edgar Lungu with High Commissioners and ambassadors at Statehouse
President Edgar Lungu with High Commissioners and ambassadors at Statehouse

Government says the growth and industrialisation of the agricultural sector in Zambia will be a vital catalyst to spur diversification of the economy.

President Edgar Lungu said his government will prioritize the agricultural sector in the next 5 year in its quest to diversify the country’s economy.

The President has noted in various fora of his government’s stance to shift its dependency from mining which has been the economic stay of Zambia to agriculture due to the sector’s potential.

ZANIS reports that President Lungu said his government’s vision for 2017 is to significantly reduce poverty by focusing on reducing the cost of living for the poor majority.

He said reducing poverty can only be done through increased agricultural productivity, enhanced job creation and accelerated economic diversification which is in accordance with the 2016-2021 PF Manifesto.

President Lungu stated that beside agriculture, his government will also work towards developing key sectors such as energy, industry, transportation and communication, education and health.

The President noted that accelerated growth in the targeted sectors will spur development and modernisation of the agricultural sector which he said has great potential for improved productivity and increased job creation and wealth.

The head of state was speaking at State House this morning when he met diplomats from Western Countries who are accredited to Zambia and representatives of international organisations.

President Lungu commended the western countries for their support to Zambia before, during and after the 2016 general elections.

He further called for continued bilateral and multilateral ties between Zambia and the Western countries for mutual benefits.

And Dean of the Diplomatic Corp Attalla Subhi Ahmed Qubia assured President Lungu of strengthened ties between their countries and Zambia.

Mr. Qubia who is the Palestinian Ambassador to Zambia said the Diplomats will work towards strengthening ties between their respective countries with Zambia and thanked President Lungu for his support to all the diplomats accredited to Zambia.

He congratulated President Lungu on his re-election as 6th Republican President of Zambia and further described the just ended general elections as free and fair.

About 28 High Commissioners, Ambassadors and representatives of International Organisations attended the meeting at state house and later after the speeches the diplomats interacted with the head of state.

President Edgar Lungu with High Commissioners and ambassadors at Statehouse
President Edgar Lungu with High Commissioners and ambassadors at Statehouse
President Edgar Lungu with High Commissioners and ambassadors at Statehouse
President Edgar Lungu with High Commissioners and ambassadors at Statehouse
Lungu with Amabssadors Group Picture
Lungu with Amabssadors Group Picture
High Commisioners and Ambassadors
High Commisioners and Ambassadors

32 COMMENTS

  1. IMF is on Zesco’ throat!
    Lungu should just hand over power to the speaker, let the petition be heard and the rule of law must prevail.

    • These guys have been there since independence day what have they done, NOTHING, what has changed now, EL has no vision for this country, watch this space, How do expect foreigners to develop your country.

      Some of these guys when the look at Africans they only see monkeys, they are just there to help the countries get our natural resources and their big companies dodge Tax. EL in you these guys see a monkey with no plan.

    • Which constitution are you going to use. The Zambian constitution gives 14 days for a petition case. 13 of which UPND kept bringing up nonsense not related to the petition case. Let us Zambians that can actually defeat the PF work on.

    • Total lies by PF and Lungu. He has been sneering at farmers since 2015 as bakachema. Because Eurobonds have been exhausted, he now sees agriculture as a source of quick cash by stealing from bakachema at low low FRA prices and exporting the agricultural commodities to Zimbabwe and Malawi at superhigh international prices. That’s why Dollar Diarrhoea Syria is the new Minister of Agriculture to facilitate stealing from bakachema.

  2. Some of these ate with HH during the campaign drink red wine and toasting champagne I wonder how they would feel if Ambassadors and High Commissioners go and sip wine with Donald T

    • The ambassadors should tell their govts that Lungu is spending their money on machine guns and armoured vehicles for PF police to kill Zambians. The west should impose personal sanctions against Lungu and his minions so that he can dance Dununa Reverse in Beijing instead. The IMF should delay or stop funding this brutal regime.

  3. Politics is an amazing science. Everything is timed to achieve something. I may be wrong but my opinion is that this is meant to say “they” are behind me in what ever I am doing.

  4. Agriculture, Agriculture funding in the Ministry is being diverted by Provincial Agric Planners to their offices and PACO’s instead of districts where its intended to go with the blessing of Directors and auditors who get a cut, budgets are made on the ground at field level but when planners go for profiling u miss apply money to unnecessary expenses like vehicles for provincial officers leaving no activities at ground level I wonder if challenges we put in our reports even reach cabinet

    • This lazy empty tin doesnt know anything about prudency …only good at spending other peoples money like those Directors at the Agric Union who are behind bars for misappropriating donor funds.

  5. Lazy Lungu allows begging and spewing lies..does he even know what the word prioritizing is? You say one thing but in the budget its something else.

  6. Palestinian ambassador to zambia ati “western diplomats” . no western country would allow a Palestinian, which is not even a state in their eyes, to represent them.

    • @6 Spaka like… Yes Palestine is NOT a Western Country but it is NOT TRUE that that Western countries don not deal with the Palestinian government. Mahmoud Abbas is the leader of the Palestine and he has been recognized as a legitimate authority to talk peace with on Palestine not only by the West but by Israel itself. LUNGU IS THE PRESIDENT OF ZAMBIA THAT IS WHY THE ANSWERED HIS CALL. He is seeking to turn a page and start attending to issues! For LUNGU and DIPLOMATS, CAMPAIGNS AND ELECTIONEERING ENDED TWO MONTHS AGO , NOW IS THE TIME FOR HIM TO SELL THE AGENDA TO THOSE THAT WERE NOT INVOLVED IN CAMPAIGNS SO THAT THEY CAN GET INVOLVED NOW BY WORKING WITH A GOVT AND PERSON MANDATED BY ZAMBIANS TO DO SO!

    • bwafyaa

      no one disputes that Abbas is the legitimate leader of the Palestinians, what is in dispute is the heading that western diplomats are chaired by a Palestinian, Israel would not allow that to happen. No Palestinian can be allowed to be spokes person for western diplomats. Even Abbas him self would never be allowed to be spokes person or dean or what ever PF want to call him for western diplomats….

  7. Diplomacy and FDIs,President Lungu is on course he has recognised the IMPORTANCE of the DIPLOMATS as a part in the Governance of Zambia Remember Diplomats have countrymen and Investments in entities subject to Zambian rules and regulations and diplomats in that sense are an extension of that Governance It’s good to see this Meeting by the President
    There is so much area of diplomacy but in terms of Investments and economic diplomacy it was good for the president to outline his key policy for diplomats to align remember most of these are career diplomats with trade experts and understanding of what best interests they ought to be representing for their…

    • The IMF and the West should blacklist Lungu and not give him more money to buy machine guns and armoured vehicles for killing Zambians. The bloodd of Mapenzi is still fresh on Lungu’s hands.

  8. countries They often report and monitor Zambia’s gains to supranational firms like OECD,IMF,WTO and world bank Its therefore important that President Lungu keeps them in check and informed and much very much free to call him and have conversations that ensures carefully aligned and balanced policies that add value to these Our friends and partners in Managing Zambia It was GOOD to see Our GOOD friend and Partner US Ambassador ERIC We hope like Obama to have him as an ambassador also for EDUCATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL Diplomacy
    The president may then extent to firms and foreign entities in another area of COMMERCIAL DIPLOMACY to ensure sound business…

    • Where did you see the US ambassador ? there is no way a US or any western ambassador can come to a meeting chaired by a Palestinian diplomat or to a meeting where and have a Palestinian diplomat as spokesperson……

      You people’s lies to try to show recognition is embarrassing.

  9. Your thinking on Diplomacy should not Just be in areas of Political or Geopolitics When You see president Lungu addressing that You need to see wider especially coming out of these elections

    The advisor is Very Good and the Thinking reading and seeing the intentions is Good also only for those who now diplomatic relations and what Zambia needs to do correclty

  10. Mr. President, your work is exemplary. Let the immature leadership of HH continue to wallow in lawlessness while you continue to point at your good work with your leadership. God bless you!

  11. I am glad now they know that 5 -10 (It can’t – Primary arithmetic). Under 5 can’t win an election in Zambia – It can’t!

  12. I am glad this real empty tin called Jay Jay is still here watching this space and like his tribesmen is still in denial. Chainama is a bad place to be in!

    • Only diplomats from Palestine which is not recognised by the west, Kosovan, Hungary and other Zed listed countries attended.

      Don’t try to lie. Lungus assult on zambias democracy is not going down well with western diplomats.

    • Yes Nzelu

      Like the 40 heads of state who we were told will attend lungu inauguration and only mugabe showed up……

    • @ Nzelu
      Presence of the British HC at the opening of Parliament cannot be interpreted as endorsement of Lungu. Please, read Constitution and try to understand difference between Parliament and Executive. After all, even under 5 can understand that always provided that is capable of reading and understanding English instead of translating into Zamglish

  13. I personally have observed that Zambia need more education. There is an appointed time for everything. Let us all just work together and finger point no one. Every person is appreciated after death. No one is perfect, even Jesus was killed He looked not to be a true Son of God before them at that time. Let us all work together like people with a future. You want to fight because you have no future and you have failed to commit suicide, kill yourself and not innocent citizens. Think of your child or yo brother’s child how would it be for them?

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