President Hichilema To Visit Brussels And Kigali

President Hichilema has accepted a rare invitation to address the European Union (EU) Parliament in Brussels, Belgium on Thursday.

According to a statement by Minister for Foreign Affairs Stanley Kakubo, the President was invited to speak by the EU Parliament’s President Roberta Metsola, as well as President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen. The invitation marks the first time a sitting Zambian president has ever been asked to address the EU.

After this, the President will travel to Kigali in Rwanda to participate in the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) which is being held between the 23rd and 25th June. 

While in Brussels, President Hichilema is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Ms Metsola, as well as the EU’s Commissioner for Trade; the Vice President of the European Commission for a Green Deal; the EU Commissioner for Internataional Partnerships; and the Secretary-General of the Organisation for African Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).

Additionally, the President will participate in a roundtable discussion on the relationship between trade and food security.

Conversations in Brussels are expected to focus on financial matters, with President Hichilema looking to further unlock Zambia’s economy by forging meaningful partnerships for trade and investment with EU countries. This will build on the foundations established at last month’s inaugural EU-Zambia Economic Forum, which the President opened in Lusaka.

HH is also expected to bring up matters concerning debt restructuring, following China’s call last week for the IMF to push ahead with a deal for Zambia. The President will likely call on EU nations to advocate for a bailout for Zambia in order to place the country on firmer financial footing.

In Rwanda, the President is expected to hold further bilateral consultations with leaders from other Commonwealth memberstates on areas of economic and social cooperation. The summit is the first time since 2011 that Zambia has been represented by its head of state.

Held every two years, CHOGM offers a platform for Commonwealth States to explore areas for cooperation and innovation. As with previous foreign trips, the New Dawn government remains focused on delivering stability and opportunity to the Zambian people by establishingCH avenues for increased cooperation with international partners which is vital to Zambia’s agenda of economic transformation.