Israel, Zambia to renew ties

Thu, 02 Mar 2017 14:18:49 +0000

President Edgar Lungu says Zambia wants to renew cooperation with Israel in the area of health.

The Head of State said Israel played a key role in the establishment of the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka which is the Country’s biggest referral hospital.

He said the Zambian Government had been sending people to Israel and India at great cost which can be reduced with renewed cooperation.

He said this yesterday in Jerusalem, when he met Israeli Minister of Health Yokuv Litzman.

President Lungu said Government was looking forward to the improvement of the health sector by equipping hospitals and upgrading infrastructure.

“Zambia is looking for partnership with Israel in areas of medical needs training for skills transfer,

“Zambia is centrally located in Southern Africa, a move that would see the development of medical tourism,” he said

And President Lungu has said that Zambia looked forward to an amicable solution to security challenges facing Israel.

He said Lusaka would dialogue with Israel and Palestine for them to get a win – win solution.

He also said Zambia sought to work with Israel in various sectors for the benefit of the people in the two countries.

President Lungu said this when he held talks with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin at the Presidential Residence in Jerusalem.

And President Rivlin said all Jews have a warm feeling towards Zambians as Zambia was one of the first countries in Africa to receive Jews during the Second World War

President Rivlin said Zambia harboured the Jewish people in Livingston and Ndola resulting in the setting up a Jewish Museum.

He also that said the Government of Israel is happy with Zambia’s stance on the need to fight terrorism.

President Rivlin said terrorism should not be tolerated as it is affecting the Middle East and other parts of the world.

He added that Israel is happy with many Zambians that are seeking university education from his Country.

President Rivlin said Israel sees Zambia as a symbol of cooperation with Africa.

Meanwhile President Lungu said the killing of six million Jews by Hitler in the 1940 should not be allowed to happen again when the world was watching.

President Lungu said this was why Zambians has been a beacon of peace called for coexistence among all tribes and races.

The heads of state said after touring the Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem, Israel and he later laid a wreath on the symbolic graveyard.

President Lungu has become the 96th head of state to plant a tree at the grave of National in that country.

And President Lungu said there was need to take interest in the development of the Christian faith because Zambia was a Christian nation.

-ZNBC