President Edgar Lungu of Zambia this Wednesday arrived in Rwanda for a two-day working visit, where he commenced with a tour to the Kigali Genocide Memorial Center and the Special Economic Zone in Nyandungu.
This evening, President Kagame honoured his guest with a State Banquet at the Kigali Convention Centre, during which the two leaders made a toast to the health and prosperity of the people of Rwanda and Zambia.
While making a toast, President Kagame welcomed President Edgar Lungu and his delegation to Rwanda and said there should be more visits between the people of Rwanda and Zambia.
“Rwandans and Zambians are now more connected than before. Our national carrier, RwandAir, has regular flights to Lusaka. We can take advantage of this opportunity, to increase visits and do more business. We are also united by our commitment to building a stronger, and more efficient African Union, able to deliver quality services, to the citizens of this continent. This is a continuation of Africa’s liberation, and all of us are stakeholders, in working towards this goal. Mr President, your visit here is a sign of the warm friendship, between Rwanda and Zambia, and a catalyst for even more collaboration.”
On his part, President Lungu congratulated President Kagame following his election as Chairperson of the African Union and said he was confident that President Kagame would effectively drive the agenda of the African Union.
“I thank you for extending an invitation to me to come and visit this beautiful country of Rwanda and for the warm and generous Rwandan hospitality accorded to me and my entire delegation. It is also heartwarming to be back in Kigali where we continue to witness remarkable progress in key aspects of your country’s development agenda. I wish to commend your Excellency for this exemplary progress in Africa.”
President Lungu highlighted the negative perception the African continent continued to receive at the global level, especially in relation migration and called for unity of Africans under common interests and mutual benefits to address the challenges that confront the continent and its people.
President Lungu is expected to hold bilateral discussions with President Kagame at Urugwiro Village, during which various agreements will be signed.
During the just concluded Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) between Rwanda and Zambia, it was agreed to strengthen cooperation and the sharing of experience in various sectors including science and technology, trade and investment, ICT, mining, governance, and tourism sectors.
President Kagame visited Zambia in June last year for two days, during which he laid a wreath at the Embassy Park Presidential Memorial site, held talks with his host President Lungu and also paid a courtesy call to former Zambian President, Kenneth Kaunda.
