Zambia Foreign Policy Report

27/01/2024

The Rwandan Cabinet has approved the appointment of Emmanuel Bugingo as the new Rwandan High Commissioner to Zambia. Amb. Emmanuel Bugingo who is a member of the Rwandan Parliament will replace Amb. Rugira Amandin who is recalled following allegations of a controversial statement attributed to him as saying that the reason Rwandan refugees own 90% of shops in Lusaka is because Zambians are "inept" and "lazy". The statement which had been attributed to Amb. Rugira Amandin had attracted a complaint by Mr Joseck K***a, an advisor to the Zambian President Mr. Hakainde Hichilema.

14/01/2024

The Zambian High Commissioner to India Mr Percy Chanda was on 5th January among Ambassadors who presented their credentials to the Indian President Her Excellency Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the official residence of the Indian President. Other Ambassadors that presented their credentials to the Indian President at the same occassion include Amb. Elchin Nariman Oglu Huseynli, the Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan; the Ambassador of Greece in India Amb. Aliki Koutsomitopoulou and Amb. Lebohang Valentine Mochaba, the High Commissioner of the Kingdom of Lesotho.

According to a Press Statement issued by Bennie Mundando the
First Secretary reponsible for Media at the Zambia High Commission in New Delhi, during the presentation of credentials, the Indian President reiterated her country's pledge to remain a vital part of Zambia's developmental journey and she pledged Indians committement to continuied support to Zambia. The President implored the Zambian High Commissioner to ensure that the two countries continued to explore more areas of development cooperation during his tenure.

23/04/2023

The Tanzanian High Commissioner to Zambia Lt. Gen. Mathew Edward Mkingule on 20 April 2023 paid a visit at the Zambian Embassy in Congo DRC where him and the Zambian Ambassador to Congo DRC discussed a number of issues, ranging from development cooperation, enhancing business opportunities as well as visa issues.

23/04/2023

President Hakainde Hichilema, speaking Thursday at the launch of plans aimed at boosting the country's socioeconomic development, said the IMF Executive Board had approved a financial assistance program for Zambia.

“They approved our extended credit facility for this great country whose greatness lies ahead of us and for us to make our country greater we have to do what is necessary in all the spheres and in all the areas," said Hichilema.

The $1.3 billion bailout is aimed at kickstarting the country’s economy and restructuring its debt. The plan allows Zambia to immediately access $185 million.

The financial assistance approved on Wednesday will give Zambia room in the budget to increase social spending and strengthen governance. The framework of the bailout will require the country to improve its public financial management.

According to Zambian government debt data, the country accumulated $31.74 billion by the end of 2021, of which $17.27 billion was external debt.

Nearly one-third of the debt -- $5.78 billion – is owed to China.

In November 2020, Zambia was unable to make its payments on a $42.5 million Eurobond, becoming the first African country in the pandemic era to default on its debt.

In July of this year, the southern African nation canceled projects worth $2 billion to prevent its debt from growing further.

The country plans to increase copper production to 3 million tons a year in the next 10 years and produce foodstuffs for export in an effort to reduce its debt.

Hichilema says his government will have to make tough choices for high economic growth.

“The macroeconomic objectives set out in the eight national development plans are to place our economy on a higher growth trajectory, no question about it," said Hichilema. "That’s the agenda next to restrain fiscal deficits that we experienced in the last seven or so years to a point where we failed to live within our means and defaulted on our obligations.”

Hichilema said the country must depart from rampant corruption, overvaluing the government projects and failing to finish them on time.

He pledged to reduce domestic debt and inject money into the economy.

Zambia's next step is to sign a legally non-binding memorandum of understanding with the G-20 bilateral creditors committee, which is intended to assist countries in resolving their debt. The authorities hope to complete discussion on the memorandum by the end of 2022. The G-20 refers to the Group of 20 large economies. Source: VOA News

23/04/2023

Zambia’s official creditors led by China have agreed to provide debt relief to the southern African nation, paving the way for an IMF bailout and setting a precedent for how Beijing could work with other lenders to tackle the threat of a wave of defaults across emerging markets. Source: Financial Times.

17/02/2023

Long Live the King! Suddenly tax payers in Zambia are paying for very expensive luxurious jets to transport President Hichilema. President Hichilema who when in opposition condemned his predecessor Edgar Lungu for foreign trips has now taken more trips abroad than Edgar Lungu did within the same period as Hichilema of being in power. Under President Hichilema, more political activists and opposition leaders have been arrested by the state than under Edgar Lungu within the same period of being President. When President Hichilema assumed office as President of Zambia, he made a public declaration that he will be travelling abroad cheaply and he will be using ordinary international flights; however it is now obvious that the pledge has been abandoned; it is clear, there seems to be an appetite for luxurious jets and more frequent international travels.

09/07/2022

Minister of Toursim Rodney Malindi Sikumba yesterday welcomed the Italian President His Excellency Mr. Sergio Mattarella and First Lady Ms. Laura Mattarella and their entire delegation to Livingstone just before President Sergio Mattarella
and the Italian first lady Mattarella flew back to Italy.

While in Zambia, Sergio Mattarella had discussions on the need for cultural exchange, Visa reciprocity to relax visa policies in order to make it easy for people of Zambia and Italy trave to Zambia or o Italy for visits, and also boast tuorism.

Minister of Toursim Rodney Malindi Sikumba said "
As Minister of Honour and as well as Member of Parliament for the City of Livingstone, I am delighted that the Italian President took time to Tour the Victoria Falls and our Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park and had private lunch at The Elephant Café " .

09/07/2022

Flashback: President Edgar Chagwa Lungu (right) with Italian Prime Minister Matteo RenzI in 2015 during the Zambia/Italy Bilateral talks.

09/07/2022

To The People of JapanEmbassy of Japan in the Republic of Zambia Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Zambia -在ザンビア日本国大使館Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Zambia -在ザンビア日本国大使館Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Zambia -在ザンビア日本国大使館Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Zambia -在ザンビア日本国大使館Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Zambia -在ザンビア日本国大使館

It is with much sorrow that we have learned of the untimely passing of
former Japan Minister Mr. Shinzo Abe.

Since His accession, He worked tirelessly for the good of Japan, and its
people. He was an inspiration to many, and His passing leaves us
all with a deep sense of loss.

On behalf of IRAZ International Relations Association of Zambia,
please accept our deepest condolences.

Picture of former President Edgar Chagwa Lungu (left) being welcomed by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at his residence in Tokyo,Japan on Wednesday,December 19,2018

09/07/2022

Former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Tony Blair has arrived in Zambia to set-up offices of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, an organisation he established when he ceased to be the Prime Minister. Tony Blair was received at State House in Lusaka, Zambia by Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema. Speaking at Zambia’s Presidential palace (State House), Mr. Hichilema said he was always honoured to receive elder Statesmen like Right Honourable Tony Blair with whom he discussed a wide range of matters.
Mr Blair had visited Zambia in September 2021 soon after President Hichilema was sworn in as President of Zambia. Mr Blair's visit to Zambia in 2021 aroused a lot of speculation on Blair’s true intentions of the visit to the new President, whom some opposition political parties and civil society organisations had characterised as a puppet of Western leaders. During Blair's visit to Zambia in 2021, it was speculated that through Hakainde Hichilema, Western leaders and people like Mr Blair had intentions of altering Zambian values by introducing western values.
Tony Blair served as a Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 1997 to 2007 and now serves as Executive Chairman of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, an organisation he established when he ceased to be the Prime of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Tony Blair set up the Institute to support leaders and governments. According to information from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Tony Blair’s Institute has over 450 staff in more than 20 countries across the globe who help in coordinating activities of the institute; in recent times the institutes has been helping governments confront the Ebola and Covid Challenges.
Tony Blair told President Hichilema that his institute will constitute a team in Zambia and build capacity in anyway which can help the country’s priorities. Tony Blair said he will give President Hichilema a proposal in the next month on how a delivery unit of his institution will be established in Zambia and managed by locals.

08/07/2022

ITALIAN PRESIDENT LEAVES ZAMBIA
President of the Republic of Italy Mr Sergio Mattarella has today left Zambia where he was for a three-day official visit. The plane carrying President Mattarella left Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport in Livingstone at 15:07 hours.
He was seen off by Southern Province Minister Honourable Cornelius Mweetwa, Members of the Provincial Joint Operations Committee (PJOC) and other Government Officials.
Before flying out, the President was accorded a Guard of Honour which was mounted by 2 Infantry Battalion of 1 Infantry Brigade of the Zambia Army.
During his three-day official visit, President Mattarella held bilateral talks with the President of the Republic of Zambia and Commander- in-Chief of the Defence Force, Mr Hakainde Hichilema on pertinent matters of mutual interest at bilateral, regional and international levels.
Yesterday, the Italian President addressed the National Assembly of Zambia.
Source: The Zambia Army

24/06/2022

President Hakainde Hichilem held a bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister, the Right Hon. Justin Trudeau MP at the sidelines of being held in Kigali, Rwanda. At the Commonwealth meeting in Kigali, Mr. Hichilema is accompanied by his Wife, Mutinta Hichilema; and Government officials, advisors and security personnel.

24/06/2022

Directly after his visit to the Europian Union in Belgium, President of 🇿🇲, H.E. Hakainde Hichilema travelled to Rwanda. President Hichilema arrived in Rwanda last evening to attend the Heads of Government Meeting being held in Kigali.

23/06/2022

23/06/2022

President Hakainde Hichilema is scheduled to address EU Parliament today.

04/06/2022

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema arrives in Eswatini for a two day's state visit.

04/06/2022

Flashback: Former President of Zambia Edgar Lungu on a visit to Eswatini.

04/04/2022

President Paul Kagame of Rwanda has on Monday 4th April 2022, arrived in Livingstone, Zambia for a two-day state visit. President Kagame was received at the airport in Livingstone by Zambia’s President His Excellency Hakainde Hichilema. The last two-day state visit by President Kagame to Zambia was in June 2017 when Mr. Edgar Lungu was a Zambian President. In 2017, the then Zambian President Mr Edgar Lungu had hosted President Kagame in Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia. This time around, Zambia is hosting President Kagame in Livingstone, a tourist town of Zambia located about 400 KM away from Lusaka the capital city of Zambia.
According to the Office of the Rwandan President, at year’s state visit, President Kagame and President Hichilema will hold a tête-à-tête followed by a bilateral meeting alongside their respective delegations. Following the bilateral talks, representatives from both delegations will sign Memorandums of Understanding on Mutual Administrative Assistance between Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA) and Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA); on Cooperation on immigration Matters; in the field of Health and on Investment Promotion between Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) and Rwanda Development Board (RDB).

16/03/2022

Ambassador Daniel Chisenga who until recently served as Consular General at the Zambian Consulate in Guanzhou, China has joined other dignitaries in remembering the late President of Zambia Rupiah Banda who passed away a few days ago. In remembering the late President, Amb. Chisenga has a shared how when he (Amb. Chisenga) was Mayor of Lusaka was surprised to have seen the former President Rupiah Band drive himself in an old Toyota Corolla to an official function of the Swedish Embassy. Amb. Chisenga has said people that attended the function at the Swedish Embassy were very surprised that President Banda could drive himself from state house to the function of the Swedish Embassy. Amb. Chisenga has remembered the late president as a humble and jovial person that easily connected with people. Meanwhile, the Zambian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Two Head of States, namely President of Zimbabwe and Namibia will attend the state funeral on 17 March and some countries including Botswana and Tanzania will be represented by former Heads of States. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also announced that some other countries within Southern Africa and beyond will send representatives to attend the state funeral on Thursday 17 March 2022.

18/09/2021

Comments by the Swedish Embassy in Zambia on Zambia's General Elections Held on 12 August 2021

Sweden is convinced that democracy is the best foundation for a sustainable society. As part of the Swedish Government’s global Drive for Democracy the Embassy of Sweden in Lusaka made democracy and the election a key priority during the year. Activities have included roundtable discussions on related topics and communication campaigns such as the series .

Sweden has supported local partners and civil society organisations
in Zambia through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the Swedish development cooperation in Zambia, including support to UNDP and several civil society organisations. This support is partly aimed at increasing voter turnout (especially among young people and women), training and monitoring of the elections and election campaign.

On 12 August 2021, Zambia had its general election. The voter turnout was high (71 %) and the qeues to polling stations were long. Voting day was peaceful with a high voter turnout that resulted in the opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema of the United Party for National Development (UPND) being elected as new President of Zambia defeating incumbent Edgar Lungu of the Patriotic Front (PF). The incumbent Edgar Lungu accepted defeat and congratulated HE Hakainde Hichilema who became Zambia’s seventh republican President.

During the elections in Zambia, the Embassy of Sweden in Lusaka had 14 staff members who took part in various forms of election observation – six of them in the European Union Observation Mission. The EU Election Observation Mission Zambia 2021 published a preliminary statement on 15 August, stating that it was a “technically well-managed electoral process marred by unequal campaign conditions, restrictions on freedom of assembly and movement, and abuse of incumbency”.

The Ambassador of Sweden to Zambia, Ms Anna Maj Hultgård, was invited to the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony at Heroes Stadium in Lusaka. Later, the Ambassador of Sweden Ms Anna Maj Hultgård met with HE Hakainde Hichilema to congratulate him and hand over a letter from the Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfvén. Sweden.

18/08/2021

Chinese Ambassador to Zambia has today 18th August 2021 held discussions with President Elect Hakainde Hichilema. The Chinese Ambassador congratulated Hakainde Hichilema on being elected as Zambia’s 7th Republican President.

18/01/2020

01/10/2019

The Zambian Ambassador to South Korea His Excellency Wylbur Simuusa seems to be doing a great job in show-casing Zambian culture abroad. On 21 September, while fully dressed in a Lozi traditional attire, Amb. Wylbur Simuusa performed for South Koreans, Zambians, diplomats and other dignitaries when the Zambian embassy in collaboration with African Art Museum of Yeongwol hosted a Zambia Day in Korea. The event which was described as “emotional and colorful” by a guest from the Embassy of Dominican Republic in Korea was characterized by culture exhibitions, music, dances and tasting of Korean and Zambian food. Well done Zambian Embassy, Seoul, Korea

01/10/2019

Zambian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Joseph Malanji yesterday condoled with the French Ambassador to Zambia on the passing of the former French President Jacques René Chirac who died on 26 September 2019 at the age 86 years. Speaking at the Embassy of France in Zambia on the 30th September, Minister Joseph Malanji remembered President Chirac for his contributions in cementing the relationships between Zambia and France. Mr Malanji told the French Ambassador that in the 1970’s when Chirac was the Prime Minister of France, many Zambians were sent to France to study French leading to increased numbers of teachers of French Language at Zambian Schools.
In France, thousands of French citizens and 30 world leaders paid their last respect to the departed former French President.
Jacques René Chirac was the President of France during the period 1995 to 2007. Some years before he was a President, Jacques Chirac served as the Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988.

30/09/2019

Zambia and many other African countries contributed to the recognition of the People's Republic of China (PRC) at United Nations. In 1971, Zambia voted in favour of Resolution 2758 of the United Nations General Assembly which restored the rights of the government of the People's Republic of China as the sole legitimate government representing China at the United Nations. Resolution 2758 effectively expelled the Republic of China from the United Nations. The expelled and unrecognized government of the Republic of China has settled itself in Taiwan, China.

On the 1st October, Chinese people will be commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the founding of The People's Republic of China. Today, the Consular General at the Zambian Consulate in Guanzhou, China, His Excellency Ambassador Daniel Chisenga attended an Evening Gala to commemorate the 70th Anniversary in the city of Haikou in Hainan Province, China. In Zambia, Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Development Vincent Mwale attended and spoke at a reception in Lusaka to celebrate the 70th anniversary.

In Taiwan, where the previously recognized Chinese government is based, there are reports of demonstrations against commemorating the founding of the People's Republic of China.

30/09/2019

On Wednesday 25, 2019, Zambian President Mr. Edgar Lungu addressed the United Nations General Assembly. Among other issues the President talked about is the urgent need for accelerated efforts in addressing challenges linked to climate change.

Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of Republic of Zambia, addresses the general debate of the 73rd Session of the General Assembly of the UN (New York, September 25 - October 01, 2018).

30/09/2019

On 7th August 2019, the President of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu officially launched the Sustainable Development Goals Sub-Regional Center for Southern Africa in Lusaka, Zambia. The Zambian President was joined at the luanch by the Rwandan President Mr Pual Kageme. The Rwandan President is the Chairperson of the Sustainable Development Goals Center for Africa Board of Directors.