President Lungu addresses AU summit

 

Republican President Edgar Lungu has delivered his maiden speech to the African Union (AU) at the on-going 24th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State.

President Lungu thanked the AU for the overwhelming support that Zambia received during the trying period following the death President Michael Chilufya Sata and the challenging transition that followed.

He said the just ended presidential by-election in what was a hotly contested race, has once again demonstrated the collective resolve of the Zambian people to ensure that Democracy and Good Governance are firmly entrenched in the governance system.

The President also thanked the AU, SADC and COMESA for sending Election Monitoring and Observation Missions to Zambia.

President Lungu said Zambia continues to be privileged to have demonstrated that it is possible to have peaceful changes of Government, even for that matter, from one political party to another.

President Lungu reaffirmed Zambia’s commitment to the ideals of the African Union and pledged his administration’s readiness to remain fully engaged in the activities the continental body.

He stated that Zambia will seek to enhance her presence at the continental level and beyond, by making her voice heard and actively participating in the programmes of the Union.

On the subject of AU Agenda 2063, President Lungu said Zambia firmly believes that this is an important blueprint for the future of the continent and should be fully supported, as a vehicle for Africa’s development.

He said there is need to ensure that the spirit and resolve contained in the document is fully incorporated into the Post 2015 Development Agenda process and other global developmental efforts.

Mr Lungu stated that as a continent, Africa should prioritise her strategic economic partnerships in order to ensure that they speak to the African Agenda and that the continent’s interests are safeguarded.

The Head of State reassured the AU Assembly that Zambia will be more actively engaged in peace-building and conflict-resolution initiatives on the continent, and particularly within SADC and the Great Lakes region.

He further called for collaborated efforts to combat the Ebola pandemic, which he described as a serious emerging threat to global social and economic security.

President Lungu also condemned the increasing occurrences of ruthless attacks and violent tendencies of terrorist groups as well as the militarisation of extreme faith-based organisations in some parts of Africa and called for urgent concerted effort to deal with the problem.

Regarding the reform of the United Nations, the President reassured the AU Assembly that Zambia will, through her membership of the AU Committee of Ten, continue to play her part in ensuring that the process is accelerated.

Mr Lungu said to this effect, Zambia will be hosting the next meeting of the Committee of 10.

President stated that Zambia supports the AU theme for 2015 as a measure of long-standing commitment to the importance of women to development and their role in leadership.

He pointed out that in accordance with the Beijing Platform, he immediately upon assumption of office appointed a female Vice-President Mrs. Inonge Mutukwa Wina, the first in the history of the country.
Meanwhile President Lungu has invited Ghanaian President John Dlamani Mahama to visit Zambia to improve the existing bilateral relations between the two countries.

During a bilateral consultation called by Ghana on the margins of the on-going African Union Summit of Heads of State, President Mahama accepted President Lungu’s invitation and promised to undertake a State Visit to Zambia in April 2015.

The main focus of the State Visit will be economic cooperation in the area of small-scale mining, agriculture and tourism.

President Lungu has since directed the Minister of Foreign Affairs Harry Kalaba to send a team of experts to Ghana to prepare for the State Visit.

President Mahama congratulated President Lungu on his victory in the January 20 presidential poll and pledged to work closely with him at bilateral and multilateral levels.

The two heads of state acknowledged the excellent historical relations that exist between the two countries.

And President Lungu yesterday held a closed-door bilateral meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah El Sissi.

President El Sissi promised to offer assistance in many areas of Egypt’s capabilities such as defence and counter-terrorism training, energy, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, tourism and infrastructure development.

The President hailed the excellent bilateral relations that Zambia and Egypt enjoy, which are founded on a long and deep-rooted friendship.

Mr Lungu said the number of high-level visits between the two countries, which saw almost every previous Zambian Head of State visit Egypt, is a manifestation of the importance of the relations between the two countries.

He underscored the need to reinvigorate relations between the two countries, under the framework of the already existing framework (the Joint Permanent Commission) for enhanced economic and social cooperation for the mutual benefit of the two peoples.

Earlier President Lungu accepted an invitation for bilateral consultations with President Peter Mutharika of Malawi.

President Mutharika congraulated President Lungu on is victory and thanked him for the assistance Zambia proviced to Malawi following the floods that killed more than 120 people.

President Lungu was this afternoon expected to meet with President Uhuru Kenyata of Kenya, United States of America Under-Secretary for African Affairs, Linda Thomas Greenfeild and China Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Zhang Ming.

Tomorrow, January 31, 2015, the President will hold bilateral talks with AU Commision Chairperson Dr. Nkosasana Dhalamin Zuma; Japan Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Uto and later meet with UNHCR High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Gutares.

This is according to a statement issued to QFM News by Amos Chanda the President’s special assistant for press and public relations.