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President Edgar Chagwa Lungu
President Edgar Lungu says Zambia stands ready and committed to ensuring that the objectives of the (CFTA) are attained.
In a speech read on his behalf by Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji, at the close of the 10th Extraordinary Heads of States and Government Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, President Lungu says Zambia will closely work with the African Union to ensure that no African Country is disadvantaged as a result of implementing commitments of the CFTA.
He says he is confident that the architecture of the CFTA Agreement had taken care of the need for appropriate flexibilities and adjustment mechanism to bring comfort to all participating countries with the hope that the benefits from the agreement entered would be shared equitably.
President Lungu also appealed to the Assembly to ensure that Negotiators were given appropriate guidance and support to finalize the remaining work and report substantial progress to the next meeting in July this year.
He says Zambia supports the roadmap that has been developed to facilitate the conclusion of the remaining items.
The Head of State says Africa’s transformation must begin by reversing low levels of intra market trade. He adds that Africa must begin to trade in value added products.
This is contained in a statement made available to Q-news by First Secretary-Press and Tourism at Zambia’s embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Inutu MupangoMwanza.