Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El Sisi confirmed to his Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema that Egypt is ready to transfer its development expertise and provide extensive support and assistance to Zambia.
Earlier Monday, President Sisi received Hichilema at El Ittihadiya Palace for talks on bilateral ties and consultations on the latest regional developments. The official reception ceremony accorded to the Zambian guest began with the military band playing the national anthems of both countries.
In statements, Presidential Spokesman Mohamed el-Shennawy said that the two leaders had a tête-à-tête meeting that was followed by expanded discussions that involved the two countries’ official delegations.
They also witnessed the signing of a number of cooperation agreements between the two countries, the spokesman further noted. Following the meetings, they held a joint press conference.
Speaking at the press conference, President Sisi said that he held fruitful and constructive discussions with President Hichilema that reflected the shared political will to shore up bilateral cooperation in the political, economic, social and development domains.
President Sisi expressed Egypt’s readiness to transfer its development expertise and provide all forms of support and assistance to Zambia with the view to enhancing the capabilities of its workforce in priority areas, and collaborating on strengthening operational frameworks within Zambia’s state institutions.
President Sisi highlighted the investment opportunities in the “Lobito Corridor” project, as part of efforts to stimulate the engagement of Egyptian public and private sectors in investment activities in Zambia. This aims to unlock new avenues for cooperation between the two countries’ business communities and capitalize on the Egyptian-Zambian Business Forum, held concurrently with President Hichilema’s visit, he added.
“We exchanged views on the various developmental challenges encountering our African continent, primarily the high rates of poverty, the debt crisis, and climate change,” President Sisi said.
“We agreed on the importance of joint action and the need to coordinate positions to advance African priorities on the international agenda,” Sisi added.
He went on to say: “President Hichilema and I also underscored the importance of reforming continental organizations to boost their capabilities to address current challenges and to better serve the interests of our peoples.”
“We emphasized the crucial need to utilize continental frameworks, notably the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA), to bolster regional integration and amalgamation among African countries,” he added.
President Sisi underlined that the talks also touched on a multitude of regional and international issues of mutual interest, with special focus on developments in Gaza, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Horn of Africa, as well as Red Sea security and water security.
They reiterated their countries’ commitment to fostering stability in the African continent and the Middle East region. They also agreed to continue consultations and coordination on this score.
President Sisi concluded by saying “I was pleased to meet with you [President Hichilema] today and I look forward to more close collaboration between Egypt and Zambia for the benefit of our peoples and our African continent. I extend my sincere wishes for enduing prosperity, stability and progress for Zambia and its people.”
