President Hakainde Hichilema says Zambia and Eswatini must continue to consolidate strong historical relations in all sectors of the economy to enhance development.
President Hichilema was speaking when he held bilateral talks with his Eswatini counterpart, His Majesty King Mswati the third at State House in Lusaka today.
Mr Hichilema thanked King Mswati for maintaining brotherhood for many years and for accepting to come and grace the international trade fair in Ndola tomorrow.
The President further commended King Mswati supporting Zambia reach the debt restructuring during the entire rough journey to acquire the much-needed debt treatment.
Mr Hichilema disclosed that Eswatini added its words to ensure that Zambia gets the debt restructuring deal.
He said Zambia has set an example to be the first country to clinch a debt restructuring and that other countries in the SADC region will follow suit.
The President also offered to be available to support Eswatini and other countries in the SADC region to also reach debt restructuring in a bid to lessen the sufferings of the people in the region.
“We are extremely grateful for accepting our invitation to come and grace the international trade fair tomorrow, this will further promote trade between the two countries,” he said.
The President has further thanked his counterpart King Mswati for pledging to resume flights into Zambia immediately all logistical mechanisms are put in Place by Eswatini.
And King Mswati of the Kingdom of Eswatini has congratulated his counterpart President Hichilema for clinching the debt restructuring saying it will help in bettering the livelihoods of the people.
He explained that Zambia will be used as a shining example in the SADC region for fighting its way to get a debt restructuring which will help to improve people’s livelihoods.
King Mswati also called on the two countries to deepen trade and investment to better the welfare of the people in the two countries.
He noted that Zambia and Eswatini must leverage on the vast natural resources they have to create job opportunities for the people.
The King added that he will use his visit to Zambia to further strengthen collaboration between the two countries.
Meanwhile, the two countries have signed seven memoranda of understanding on trade and investment, establishing joint permanent cooperation between the two countries.
The other memorandum is on intergovernmental, Agriculture, cultural cooperation and forestry as well as that of chambers of commerce of Zambia and Eswatini.
The memoranda are aimed at accelerating trade, cooperation in the signed sectors among others.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Stanley Kakubo and Eswatini Foreign Affairs Minister Thuli Dladla counterpart signed the seven memoranda in the presence of the leaders.
After the signing of the seven memoranda, the two Heads of State called for the implementation of the documents in order to trigger development.
The visit by the King is in reciprocity to the State Visit undertaken to Eswatini by President Hichilema in June 2022.
We want closer ties with Eswatini but NOT the kind that Edgar Lungu had with this tiny kingdom aka Eswatini Mansions.
UPND is getting embarrassed after realising Lungu’s friends are their very friends so the rot continues. They are trying to spin this as a new relationship altogether. Ne it is still the same one. Ndola Mufulira road where is it?
After that strengthened ties with Equatorial Guinea
Waste of time. The cunning red-tie whitemen’s stooge has nothing for Zambians. He and his ministers are ripping off the economy by globetrotting, high-end deals with inflated pricung.