In an address to the European Parliament, the President of the Republic of Zambia, Hakainde Hichilema, called for, on Thursday 23 June, a stronger EU/Zambia partnership so that his country can develop its full economic potential and even its capacity to become a food basket for Africa and the world.
The current president, who has been leading a country that is a model of stability in the region since August 2021, had been invited to speak in the hemicycle in Brussels.
“Zambia is an example of a mature democracy for the entire African continent. Now, more than ever, in the current troubled geopolitical context, Zambia’s progress must be supported”, said the European Parliament President, Roberta Metsola, in her introduction. And pointed the finger to the presence of the Wagner group in some African countries.
The Zambian President thanked the European Parliament for voting in 2017 to condemn his politically motivated arrest. He reaffirmed Zambia’s commitment to putting the interests of the people, reforms, media freedom, the rule of law, youth and education at the top of its political agenda.
To give the Zambian people a prosperous future, with a focus on innovation and youth, “revitalising our economy is our priority”, he said, calling for a stronger partnership with the EU in trade and investment relations. His country wants to develop quality products and services.
He was encouraged by the recent holding of the first EU/Zambia Business Forum, hoping that it could become an annual event. “Zambia is back in business”, in the “Champion’s league”, he said, using the football metaphor.
Mr Hichilema expressed his government’s concern over the war in Ukraine. “Thousands of lives were lost, millions of people were displaced. War is not what we need anywhere. We say categorically ‘No’ to the war in Ukraine”, he said. And he advocated for insisting “that the partners involved, directly or indirectly, come to the negotiating table”. This is, in his view, like the African Union, the only way to solve the problem.
The Zambian president deplored the impact of soaring food, fertiliser and energy prices “which is directly affecting us and the economic reconstruction, and will affect the poorest in Zambia and in your countries as well”.
Stressing that Zambia is working to increase its agricultural production and welcoming the growing cooperation with European partners in this area, he called on the EU to support, through investment, the development of “enormous potential”.
Good soil quality, fresh water and a favourable climate should enable Zambia to be “a major contributor to food security in the region and the world”, he said.
Furthermore, President Hichilema called for EU/Africa agreements on migration that facilitate legal migration and combat illegal migration. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)