On 25th April 2023, the Government of the Republic of Zambia and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) signed the Host Agreement for the upcoming 22ndCOMESA Summit of Heads of State and Government. The event is set to take place on 8th June 2023 at the Mulungushi International Conference Center, Kenneth Kaunda International Wing, in Lusaka, Zambia.
This will be the first time in over two decades that Zambia will host and chair the COMESA Summit of Heads of State and Government. Speaking at the signing ceremony at the Raddison Blu Hotel in Lusaka, Hon. Chipoka Mulenga, MP, Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, highlighted the importance of the event for Zambia. He expressed his confidence that the upcoming Summit will foster common resolve among governments to enhance the Economic Diplomacy Agenda in the region.
The Summit will be held under the theme: “Economic Integration for a Thriving COMESA anchored on Green Investment, Value Addition and Tourism”. It will be preceded by the Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and the COMESA Business Forum on 6th June and 7th June 2023, respectively. The COMESA Business Forum will feature participation from both the Private Sector and Public Sector from the COMESA Region.
Her Excellency, Ms. Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe, COMESA Secretary General, who signed the Host Agreement on behalf of COMESA Secretariat, expressed her gratitude to the President of Zambia, His Excellency Hakainde Hichilema, his government, and the people of Zambia for graciously accepting to host the event. She highlighted that Zambia’s hosting of the 22nd COMESA Summit is a great opportunity to strengthen its role and participation in regional integration, exchange information on investment opportunities, create business partnerships across the COMESA region, boost foreign exchange revenues for the country and enhance the country’s tourism potential.
Ms. Kapwepwe further stated that the theme of the Summit acknowledges the need to tackle many of the challenges faced by the continent, particularly emerging issues on climate change, regional value addition to move away from the export of raw materials and the need to create additional wealth and jobs, especially in support of the regrowth of sectors such as tourism in the post-COVID-19 recovery era.
The upcoming 22nd COMESA Summit of Heads of State and Government will be a great opportunity for Zambia to showcase its potential and further its regional integration efforts.
