President Lungu Emphasises Stronger Ties With DRC

The President of the DRC visited Zambia this week and yesterday President Lungu said that Zambia and the DRC have shared close relations for some time but that there is scope for the two nations to continue to build upon their relationship, as well as cooperate as members of the SADC, COMESA and the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region.

A banquet was held last night in honour of the DRC leader at the Taj Pamodzi, where Lungu expressed confidence that the two nations would continue to work as a team going forward, resulting in ‘uplifting the livelihood’ of the people of the two nations.

“Your Excellency, in uplifting the lives of our people, we must continue addressing the challenges of peace in the region. As we agreed in our meeting this morning, this is a pre-requisite to development. I therefore wish to reaffirm the Zambian governments commitment to promoting and strengthening the regions peace initiatives, ” the President Said, making a commitment that the Zambian government would continue to persue peace in the region even after Zambias chairmanship of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security had ended.

President Lungu commended the efforts of President Tshisekedi in restoring peace and security to the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, and paving way for economic and political transformation.

“I wish to quote a rich African Proverb which says that ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. if you want to go far, go together’. I know it is a worn out saying, but it is still relevant to all of us. If we want to make progress, we have to go together.”

He also quoted a Bemba saying whose translation was that moving together is not a sign of cowardice stating that there is strength in numbers.

“In this regard your Excellency, only by working together can we achieve the goals and aspirations of our region and the African continent as a whole,” President Lungu said.