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| Mr Malanji meets Sheikh Al-Sabah in Kuwait |
Zambia and Kuwait are in the coming month expected to sign several
Memorandum of Understanding (MOUs) which will see Zambia start exporting human
resource in areas such as engineering and health which the Persian Gulf nation
desperately needs.
Zambia's Foreign Affairs Minister
Joseph Malanji has told this blogger in an interview in Kuwait City this
afternoon that Kuwait has asked Zambia to finalise the MOUs so that
relations between the two countries can be enhanced.
Speaking
after he held a one hour closed door meeting with the Acting Prime
Minister of Kuwait Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah, Mr Malanji said Kuwait
wants to employ Zambian engineers who are renowned as one of the best in
the world.
Sheikh Al-Sabah is also the Foreign Affairs Minister of Kuwait. The Minister was accompanied to the talks by Zambia's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ibrahim Mumba.
"The government of Kuwait is concerned that the relations between our countries have not strengthened despite them having been established in the 1980s. They want us to sign the MOUs so that we can work together towards a win-win situation," said Mr Malanji, who is also Kwacha Member of Parliament.
He added that once the MOUs are
signed, the private sector in Kuwait will start engaging their
counterpart in Zambia to find ways of working together and developing
Zambia.
Meanwhile, Mr Malanji has delivered
President Edgar Lungu's special message to the Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.
The Foreign Affairs
Minister, who has traveled to Kuwait as President Lungu's special envoy,
delivered the message this afternoon through the Acting Prime Minister
Sheikh Aa-Sabah.
He expressed optimism that following his visit, economic activities between the countries will improve.
Mr
Malanji added that interactions between the two countries will also be
enhanced from the Permanent Secretary level up to the highest level.
"His Excellency's message has been well received and we are just waiting for the signing of the MOUs to ensure that we can work together with the government of Kuwait," he added.
Kuwait is a major oil exporting Persian Gulf nation which in the last decade has raised its voice at the international stage.
The tiny nation has provided $2 billion to African countries in development aid through its Kuwait Find for Development.
A number of African countries have already accessed these funds and Zambia is in the process of starting talks to access the fund.
Kuwait wants to import human resource and agricultural products from Zambia while Zambia needs Kuwait's billions to be invested in the energy and agricultural sectors as the southern African country diversifies its economy.
