. Lourenço

By REBECCA MUSHOTA and CHILA NAMAIKO –
ANGOLAN president Joao Lourenco has said Zambia has developed many of its sectors, a move that has made the country a focal point in the region.
Meanwhile, Zambia and Angola have signed five bilateral agreements with the first being an agreement on Visa exemption for ordinary passports.
President Luorenco said Zambia has developed its agriculture and infrastructure sectors, among many and has proven that it has the potential to feed the region.
The Angolan Head of State said this yesterday when he and President Edgar Lungu officiated at the Zambia- Angola business summit yesterday.
“Zambia has developed its sectors and has penetrated the region proving that it can feed the region,” Mr Luorenco said.
He said there was still room for growth and both Zambia and Angola should do more to develop infrastructure in order to fully utilise resources.
He said he was hopeful that the forum would result in empowering entrepreneurs who would eventually create wealth for other citizens.
And President Lungu said there was an urgent need for Zambia and Angola to capitalise on its long relations and geographic positions to improve trade.
Mr Lungu said Zambia and Angola last year had a US $5.1 million trade exchange which was very low.
Zambia Chamber of Commerce representative Chabuka Kawesha said there was need to promote cultural and education exchanges as a way to address the language barrier and appealed to the two governments to ensure that the dreams of the private sector came true.
Angolan representative of the chamber of commerce Fransisco Vianna called for linkages between the two private sectors.
Mr Lungu and Mr Lourenco witnessed the signing of five bilateral agreements at State House yesterday shortly after holding bilateral talks.
In the first agreement, Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo signed for Zambia while Angelo Tavares, the Interior minister signed for his country.
The agreement provides for Visa exemption for ordinary passport holders in order to allow nationals of either party who hold valid ordinary passports to enter the territory of the other party for official or private business.
Mr Kampyongo also signed the second cooperation agreement with Mr Tavares on security and public order.
The fourth agreement was on mutual cooperation and administrative assistance on customs matters between the two countries signed by Finance Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe and Angola’s minister of External Relations Manuel Domingos Augusto.
Agriculture Minister Micheal Katambo and Angola’s Minister of External Relations Manuel Domingos Augusto also signed an agreement on protocol of cooperation between the two countries.
The agreement was aimed at establishing and strengthening bilateral relations in the areas of agriculture.