By KAIKO NAMUSA –
ZAMBIA is gratified by its election at the United Nations to chair the 32-member group of Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe, Chief Government spokesperson Joseph Katema has said.
Dr Katema said the recent election signified Zambia’s growing stature and influence in international affairs. Zambia will chair the grouping for a two-year  term.
“The overwhelming support Zambia received from LLDCs member states worldwide to chair the grouping, also underscores the confidence the international community has in Zambia’s political and governance system under the leadership of President Michael Sata,” Dr Katema said.
Dr Katema, who is Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services, said in a statement in Lusaka yesterday that Zambia pledged to use its new global role to work with all member States in making the LLDCs better their lives.
He said the LLDCs lack territorial access to the sea and faced the double challenge of development and access to international markets in their efforts to profit from trade opportunities and harness global
markets for economic development.
He said the group’s priorities in reversing this scenario included infrastructure development such as roads, railway, inland water ways, pipelines, air transport, internal trade as well as international trade facilitation among member states.
“On behalf of the Government and people of Zambia, I convey deep-felt appreciation to member states of the LLDCs for the honour and privilege bestowed on Zambia through this election,” he said.
He congratulated Zambia’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Mwaba Kasese-Bota and her  staff  on   the  achievement.
Of  the 32 member  countries, 16 were in Africa, 12 in Asia, two in Latin America and two in Central and Eastern Europe.
They include Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, the Central Africa Republic, Chad, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Niger, Rwanda, Swaziland, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Others are Afghanistan, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Tajikistan, Turmenistan and Uzbekstan.
For Europe, member  countries include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Republic of Moldova and former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, while South America has Bolivia and Paraguay as member countries of the LLDCs.