President Lungu attends SADC meet in Swaziland

Tue, 14 Mar 2017 11:09:52 +0000

By ANNIE ZULU

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu is this week expected to attend the Southern African Development Community (SADC) extra-ordinary summit of heads of State and Government to be held on March 18 in Lozitha, Swaziland, Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba has said.

Mr Kalaba said that President Lungu would depart Zambia for Swaziland this Friday, March 17and return on 19.

The Minister made the announcement at a media briefing at his office in Lusaka yesterday.

“The President is expected to leave Lusaka for Swaziland on 17th March and return on 19th March, 2017,” Mr Kalaba said.

He said that Zambia could not afford to be left behind in the process of making decisions that shaped direction and future of the SADC region and the entire African continent as a whole.

Mr Kalaba revealed that President Lungu would be accompanied by himself, Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe and other senior government officials.

He further disclosed that the Summit would be preceded by SADC Council of Ministers meeting, SADC senior officials meeting, the meeting of the ministerial task force on regional integration and the on-going SADC ministerial retreat talks.

Mr Kalaba said President Lungu would make several interventions at that the summit and use the platform to promote Zambia’s national interest for the Zambian people.

“I must stress that it is important for the President to attend this important summit to ensure that Zambia is not left behind in the process of making decisions in SADC and the continent,” he said.

Key issues to be discussed at the summit include consideration of the Report of the ministerial Retreat on SADC which focused on the review of progress on implementation of SADC programmes, the current challenges and prospects made in the region.

Other issues include the exploration of alternative sources of financing for enhancing trade and market integration and consideration of the application by Burundi and Comoros to join the body as well as to expand SADC membership.

The summit would also focus on fast tracking industrialisation and regional integration strategy of 2015 and adopt the Report as an action plan and roll it out for implementation.