Hakainde Hichilema to attend AU summit in Ethiopia

PRESIDENT Hakainde Hichilema is on Saturday expected to be among African Heads of State to attend the 36th ordinary session of the Assembly of the African Union in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.

The event which is the highest decision making body for the continent will take place from February 18th to 19th.
In a statement, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Stanley Kakubo said the Head of State will continue to undertake trips to help the country return glory.

“President Hichilema will continue to undertake trips and participate in meetings such as the African Union Summit that present an opportunity for Zambia to not only advance and protect her interests at continental level but also be part of the decision making process in key areas such as regional integration, peace and security, good governance, food security and nutrition,” he said.

He said President Hichilema has a duty to restore confidence in the global community in order to attract more investment and grow the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

“The President’s trips are strategic as the President meets key stakeholders relevant to Zambia’s economic growth. President Hichilema has indicated that he will spend 70 percent of his time in the country to resolve rigidities that are taking too long to attract investment,” he said.

Mr Kakubo said the summit brings together all African Heads of State and Government and Heads of various institutions in one place, thereby presenting an opportunity to network with all relevant players in the developmental discourse.

“With this Summit particularly focusing on the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), Zambia will use her presence to explore ways to leverage opportunities accorded by the single African market for the betterment of the people, while at the same time contributing to deepening economic integration, industrialization and structural economic transformation,” he said.

Source:Mwebantu