President Edgar Lungu and Russia’s Vladimir Putin held bilateral talks in Johannesburg where they proposed to scale up their countries’ diplomatic ties and move towards enhancing economic relations the even on the BRICS meetings.
President Lungu said Russia was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Zambia but noted that these ties have grown cold over the years.
“We feel that now time has come for us not only to cement these relations but to build up what has been existing,” Mr. Lungu said at the Four Seasons Hotel in Johannesburg where the two leaders held the bilateral talks.
The President said Zambia was looking forward to get assistance from Russia in many areas of economic development particularly in nuclear energy.
He said the country was facing a deficit in energy hence it was considering investing in nuclear power for peaceful purposes.
He stated that he was looking forward to having Mr. Putin visit Zambia in future.
“We have signed Memorandums of Understanding with Russia at home and a few other agencies in Russia. So we look forward for your coming so that you can do the ground breaking for the nuclear research centre,” he said.
President Lungu further said technocrats from both Zambia and Russia have been engaged in how the two countries’ could scale up their cooperation for the benefit of their peoples.
And President Lungu disclosed that Zambia appreciates the role which Russia played in contributing to the liberation of many African countries during the liberation struggle.
He recalled that Zambia particularly benefited in military cooperation when it hosted the liberation movement.
The President said Zambia and Russia should not only cement the existing relations but build on them for enhanced development.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the old relations between the two countries should now be translated into economic development.
Mr. Putin said through an interpreter that the visit to Russia by Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini in April this year was a sign that the two countries were collaborating in many areas.
He further said his country was happy that Russia and Zambia have established contacts in various sectors including medicine.
President Lungu was accompanied in the bilateral talks by Minister of Foreign Affairs Joe Malanji, Minister at Presidential Affairs Minister at State House Freedom Sikazwe, Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Emmanuel Mwamba and other government officials.
Mr. Lungu was in South Africa to attend the 10th Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) summit outreach dialogue session in Johannesburg.
The BRICS is a grouping of emerging economies. The theme of this year’s BRICS summit is, ‘BRICS in Africa: Collaboration for inclusive growth and shared prosperity in the 4th industrial revolution’.
Zambia had been invited to attend the 10th BRICS summit under the umbrella of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) while other countries such as Ethiopia, Senegal, Uganda, Gabon, Rwanda and Togo are representing different groupings.
President Putin, India’s Narendra Modi, President of China Xi Jinping, President of Brazil Michel Temer and President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa were attending as leaders of countries that make up the BRICS.
Sounds good , nuclear power to be used peacefully. Bravo
I think Russia interfered in Lusaka Mayoral elections, why did it go so bad?
One for the president’s memoir when he is retired. Congratulations
Thanks
BB2014,2016
OMG, musela kwa kaba.. Zambian Govt has officially turned Great Zambia into a DESPARET nation. Lungu doesn’t the size of the Russian economy, the human rights in Russia including the poverty rate especially in northern Russa where the residents got kicked without notice just for pipeline to benefit Putin and billionaire boy toy.
Apart from the President, The Zambian delegation is way overweight. This is why they sleep in Meetings.
On a Lighter Note: why do we always want to ask for Economic Assistance LUNGU?? Come on?? You can’t ask about Trade that we export our goods to Russia in reciprocal to our imports from them? It starts with a Change of our mindset. White better than Black. Very stupid thinking.
Jesus, Thats one hell of a fukin giant in our camp. Makes puttin look like a puddle, Lol;
Zoona abena Freedom Sikazwe is taking a picture with the world’s richest man (ask President Trump he will confirm that Putin is indeed the world’s richest man)and then you have educated bloggers in the diaspora getting high blood pressure over the frustrations they are going through in life. Ati…ichalo nalolesha eeeye nalolesha..ichalo chesu…
“Zambia is looking forward to getting assistance……..”. Once you start out like that, you have already weakened yourself. There’s nothing good for Zambia from such an engagement.
Putin, the most influential politician on earth!!
HaJelous!
We want nuclear bombs too. We will test the bombs in Namwala!!! KiKiki
ECL you are really selling Zambia to the outside world. Excellent. We need the investment from these guys.
Lol did you watch the BRICS Summit, ECL was asleep for most of it. Our neighbours have already received investment from these talks totaling $2bn.
Side by side with Putin and not Maimane like supreme leader often does when in SA.
Dept of Ha Jealous fuming at the mouth like a mad galu or one animal at the Animo Farm! It can participate in the Rodeo in Texas! I mean the Mad Cow!
What a joke, from Turkey to Russia with love, god help us.
It will NEVER be president in Zambia!
Not ifyo ifyama nuclear naiwe Lungu, we are not ready for that. We have plenty of other sources of energy. But this President of ours also, ninshi teti ulandeko ifya hydro, solar, oil? Why do you have to say something even when you are ignorant on it? Next week you will be DIRECTING the minister of energy to set a nuclear power plant without any analysis of the pros and cons.
At the same forum, umunenu Ramaphosa told Putin that his country is not ready yet on more nuclear, signs of a good leader because Ramaphosa does not pretend to be all knowing above his ministers and his people, so you dont hear him DIRECTING his ministers like primary school children.
Nga niba h.h mu upnd yabo na kamusango kabo ka tribal, awe sure ni worst case, but ebale fwaya ukupyana pali Lungu!!
The tribal organization is fuming because of MAD COW DISEASE!
The two held uranium talks, we need both nuclear and chemical weapons to solve two problems: 1. BA64; 2. Dundumwezi. With Africa’s fast growing population and economic activities, the combined hydro electricity production capacity will soon fail to meet the demand. Therefore Africa can’t shy away from nuclear energy
Yes but Africa needs to improve its energy mix. SA pulled out of the nuclear deal as it was costly, and put treasury in debt. When we see solar, wind, gas and streamline those then we can talk nuclear.
I hope Putin didn’t bring with him a cache of Pushkin Vodka, that’s hard stuff it’s not like jemasoni. We don’t want to lose our President
Truly i tell ya Edgar Lungu loves the company of brutal dictators.
HH loves those enemies of Zambia in South Africa whom he has instructed to topple the Zambian Government. But it will not succeed!
Like President Trump says ” so much winning ” Losers will always criticize everything and continue losing.
Lungu, on behalf of Zambia, took his begging bowl to South Africa. This is the most destructive administration in Zambia’s history. They have enriched themselves while exploding Zambia’s debt.
Do not lie! HH and his tribal party is the most destructive tribal organisation to have ever emerged in Zambia. That is why it will NEVER be president in Zambia.
“I wish it was HH here!” Larry Mweetwa.
Zambians, know this about Rosatom, the company you’re stupid president has made a deal with. They are corrupt and untrustworthy, they tried to get into the US market by bribing officials amongst other things. Zambia will never be able to pay back any loans they provide to build this nuclear infrastructure and in the long term the country will be more in debt than it currently is. Egypt is screwed financially because of this company and South Africa sensibly refused their offer. The future of energy production in Zambia is solar not nuclear.