President Hakainde HIchilema is this weekend expected to travel to Brussels in Belgium and the Vatican.
In a Facebook post, President Hichilema said he will be in Brussels to attend an EU and AU summit at the invitation of the European Union.
This is President Hichilema’s seventh foreign trip since assuming office five months ago.
“Our ambitious economic transformation agenda will require a lot of capital injection, skills and knowledge transfer, and linkages with both local and international investors. It is for this reason that we have accepted an invitation from the European Union to participate in the EU and AU summit to be held in Brussels, Belgium, this coming weekend,” he announced.
Mr Hichilema said the European Union is a key economic regional block that offers vast opportunities for our products, especially in farming and mining communities.
“We want to fully participate and understand some of the impediments that make our goods not easily be accessible in this part of the world so we can improve,” he said.
“We also want to push the agenda of our goods being exported to these countries in processed form as opposed to raw materials so we can equally create jobs for our citizens, especially the young people, in the value addition chain.”
President Hichilema also revealed that he will meet Pope Francis at the Vatican during the same trip.
“We have also accepted an invitation to meet His Holiness Pope Francis at the Vatican. We greatly appreciate the role the Catholic Church plays in the advocacy of social justice, human rights, education and health, for our people in Zambia,” he said.
“We, therefore, accept the Holy Father’s invitation with humility and great honour.”
Vasco Da Gama! This friendship with the EU will one day explode in our faces. Most Pan-Africanists are now advocating the use and utilization of local resources to advance the transformation agenda of African economies, but Bally is galivanting with a begging bowl before the promoters of gay rights.
“……We also want to push the agenda of our goods being exported to these countries in processed form as opposed to raw materials so we……..”
Atleast he’s not going dancing like lungu………..
All the explanations given for his travel are very valid…………
What did the CATHOLIC do in Rwanda? Do not forget so easly.
A masonist going to meet Pope Francis.
We appreciate the works of the Catholic in schools and hospitals. However their past record of se.x.u.al appetite for children and homo se.x.u.al tendencies has dented their name world over. I would not associate with them at all.This was at a level of even some high ranking bishops and arch bishops. Its a shame!
Here we go …. Europe we come!
We rule the heavens and the earth…..WE ARE UPND!!!
In the name of the father, the son and holy spirit……forgive me father for I have sinned.
Out of 7 trips in 5 months, only 1 to South Africa to
witness launch of a private book with his personal friends, was a total scandalous.
The rest are cool.
Mutinta see you in weekend and happy Valentine’s day xoxo
Your excellence we appreciate the hard work. Holy communion here we come.
Pls bring me the original holy communion from Vatican. And tell the pope that ma Chinese banyanya in Zambia – selling us fake holy communion(made from Hong Kong plastic).
Meanwhile Black mountain is now legally Zambian owned with Licences-ngamule talika – go to PACRA and check for yourself.
GRZ
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$68.93 billion (2017 est.)
European Union
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$20.85 trillion (2017 est.)
The separate Vatican City State budget includes the Vatican museums and post office and is supported financially by the sale of stamps, coins, medals, and tourist mementos as well as fees for admission to museums and publication sales.GDP (purchasing power parity)
NA.
GRZ Vs EU and Vatican Constitutions.
Noise makers are no where to be heard…what happened? Do you approve this trip or you will continue with your usual TRIPPING out ?
Its getting ridiculous. Always travelling yet nothing to show for it. Hh can you grow up. You criticised ecl but atlease ecl left amazing infrastructure. You are a failure hh
Clown
He goat
Well done HH, atleast you are going to work, others used to go to Swaziland to go and play
Hard working Zambian President, this one. Travelling to better our lives. Please Mr President, follow your itinerary and travel when you want to, after all you are going for work, please ignore the remnants of PF posting here who neither have any influence nor any power. Some negative comments above are just a way of licking wounds from the August 12 drubbing. No resurrection in sight
We voted you to go and work, therefore you have the blessings of all Zambians to travel regularly to put the country back on the international scene, after all, unlike in the past, you travel with a very lean delegation next week, when you come back just make another trip, I suggest to the Netherlands or Canada, after that go to new Zealand and after to Asia, you need to market this country, I suggest one week in and one week out.
Mr President also visit Finland and Malaysia, you have our support. For them even to go and pick dinosaur fire tenders from the US which never worked, they carried tea makers, but PF mwandi
Rejected PF still talking, wondering using which mandate. RIP
Vasco da gama…… wasting tax payers money…
My mother used to say, those who love and flying and fly all the time, increase their risks of dying from a plan crash. I took this advice and rarely travel abroad unless I need to
I hope he was really invited for sure by the pope? UPND is fond of cooking up invitations.
Mr HH we still waiting for you to amend the public order act, what’s the problem. Are you also enjoying it like the previous regimes?
I believe with the feel good moral in the country MP’s will push over this bill.
But just as we suspected you are afraid of the worms coming out once you open the can.
The Catholic Church has money. I would not be surprised if they are our creditors too.
I hope the president will advise the EU leaders and the holy father that the Kwacha CONTINUES to depreciate and going, now K18.76 to the dollar, and the REAL inflation rate is 20.4% and going faster still. Not very impressive Mr President.
While meeting the Pontiff is important, more important is the agenda of their meeting. It’s not like we used to be excited as kids to meet celebraties and other characters. We haven’t forgotten how we were duped about the invitation to meet Biden at the White House which wasn’t. I hope that isn’t the case this time around, travel well Vasco da Gama
Kenneth Kaunda was the first to visit the Vatican in late 1964. He met Pope Paul XI. Nothing new here. Donald Trump, Obama, Bush jr, JFK, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton have all gone to see the Pope.
Vasco Da Gama has gone to beg forgiveness for the many lies that he has said to the nation. Lies are still haunting him. He has no where to run to.May be a hand from Pope will deliver him briefly.
I doubt if the Popel really invited Mr Hichilema
The Catholic Church is a very organised Institution. And when it comes to visits to the Vatican City, the Papal Nuuncio is aware.and information availed. .On this visit the local church and the Papal Nuncio in Zambia are quiet . We hope it is not another ‘ peeping Tom White House Rose Garden fiasco’ revisited.
I dont trust anything which comes from this Presidency.
Pope is addressed as holy father, which is more like worshipping. the Bible clearly said that addressing your fellow man as holy father is a sin for you have only one father who in heaven don’t call any one holy father none is holy