UK Prime Minister congratulates President Edgar Lungu
The British Prime Minister David Cameron has congratulated President Edgar Lungu on his election as the 6th President of Zambia. He said:
David Cameron, British Prime Minister
“The UK and Zambia are longstanding partners and I look forward to seeing the bonds between our two nations grow in the years to come”
The Prime Minister assured of the UK’s continued support for Zambia’s development saying that the UK’s programmes will continue to cover a range of sectors, with an increasing focus to benefit Zambia’s poorest people.
“I hope that we can also work with you to deepen further our economic and commercial ties. With our full support, British companies are already contributing their know-how and experience, and encouraging responsible investment for the long term”.
The Prime Minister also said that he hoped that UK and Zambia can strengthen dialogue on regional and global issues. Mr Cameron was grateful that Zambia was to send troops to UN’s peace keeping mission in the Central African Republic.
“I am conscious of the challenges you face as President, but I am confident that this is a time of opportunity for Zambia. I can assure you of continued UK support for political and economic development to help create a stable, prosperous nation for all,” said Mr Cameron in conclusion.
And British High Commissioner to Zambia James Thornton in delivering the message from the Prime Minister said that he was extremely encouraged by the messages in the President’s inaugural speech about tackling poverty, about the private sector and about reconciliation.
And in echoing the Prime Minister’s comments on Zambia’s role on the international stage, Mr Thornton said he believed that Zambia could play a bigger role in regional and world affairs than it sometimes had recently.
He said he had read with great interest about the various initiatives the President took at the African Union Summit including on South Sudan.
Further information
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Towards the end of last year Zambia received two trade missions from the UK. Both visits were very successful
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The UK, through its Department for International Development (DFID), has a substantial and broad-based development programme in Zambia.
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This includes social sector work through cash transfers, maternal and child mortality interventions, and programmes to improve sanitation and hygiene. DFID nutrition interventions have reached over 1.9 million children under 5, and 3.2 million people now sleep under bed nets provided by DFID. DFID is also working to reduce gender based violence and empower girls and women, to tackle inequality and make growth more inclusive.