By MILDRED KATONGO –

YOUTH and Sports Minister Vincent Mwale is in London to hold meetings with key stakeholders to discuss general youth development and policy matters in Zambia.
Mr Mwale is expected to hold meetings with Commonwealth deputy secretary-general Deodat Maharaj, youth division director Katherine Ellis, European School of Economics and other partners that the ministry collaborates with in the areas of youth, sport and child development.
This is contained in a statement released by first secretary for Press and public relations at the Zambian Mission in London, Abigail Chaponda.
Ms Chaponda said Mr Mwale would also consult on the current Commonwealth-supported Sports for Development and Peace (SDP) project to provide technical assistance to the Zambian Government, including SDP in the national policy.
“Mr Mwale is in London holding meetings to discuss youth development and policy issues. Zambia’s commitment to host the Commonwealth Youth Programme Regional Representative in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Child Development will also be among the major issues for discussion,” she said.
Ms Chaponda said the minister and Zambia’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Muyeba Chikonde would also attend the annual Commonwealth lecture at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre where UNESCO director-general Irina Bokova would deliver a lecture on ‘Educating for inclusion, dialogue and peace’ which tied closely with the 2016 Commonwealth theme of ‘An inclusive Commonwealth’.
She said Mr Mwale would further hold another meeting with the European School of Economics founder and president Elio D’anna and company director Kristin Sharpe to discuss collaboration of the institution with the ministry on various sports management and short course programmes.
Mr Mwale is expected to travel back to Zambia on February 27.