Fri, 18 Nov 2016 14:12:39 +0000
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu says Zambia will continue to cooperate with the American government despite the uncertainties that have emerged from the recently held elections. Speaking in Morocco when United States Assistant Secretary Bureau of African Affairs Linda Thomas called on him, President Lungu said Zambia and America share a lot of areas of common interest which need to continue.
“I want to assure that we will continue to cooperate with Washington as we have always done and share the friendship on values that we cherish like good governance, human rights and democracy,” he said. ZANIS reports from Marrakech in Morocco that President Lungu said he was happy to learn that the outcome of the USA elections would not result in any major policy shift because most African countries were anxious about the route that the Republications will take.
“Most of us in Africa who are not so conversant with the American electoral system were worried with the change of government and anxious to know where we stand in our bilateral relations and am glad to know that it will be business as usual,” he said. And Ms Thomas-Greenfield said the election of Donald Trump will not have any major policy change towards Africa.
She stressed that America will continue to work with African countries in all areas of mutual concerns. She said the practice in America has been such that new governments continue supporting programmes initiated by the losing party. Ms Greenfield further pointed out that America appreciates Zambia’s role in peace keeping and that Zambian peace keepers have made significant contribution in maintain peace on the Continent. She disclosed that Zambia will soon be asked to contribute more peace keepers in United Nations missions in Mali and south Sudan. “I want to mention how much we appreciate Zambia’s engagement in peace keeping, your peace keepers still continue to make major contributions and we will probably be coming to beg you for more as we have security situations particularly in Mali, South Sudan,” she said.
