FOREIGN Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Stanley Kakubo says Rwandan President Paul Kagame will undertake a state visit to Zambia from 4th to 5th April.

In a statement, Sunday, Kakubo said President Hakainde Hichilema and President Kagame were scheduled to hold bilateral talks which would be followed by signing of seven Memoranda of Understanding.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation wishes to inform the nation that His Excellency Mr. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda will undertake a State Visit to the Republic of Zambia, in Livingstone from 4th to 5th April, 2022. During the visit, the two Heads of State are scheduled to hold Bilateral Talks where discussions will focus on matters of mutual interest at bilateral, regional and international levels. The Bilateral Talks will be followed by the signing of seven Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between Zambia and Rwanda in various sectors. This will promote the consolidation of ties between the two countries. Zambia and Rwanda share long standing bilateral relations, which are anchored on shared values and mutual respect,” read the statement.

“The two countries have continued to strengthen bilateral ties through the exchange of high level visits as well as the establishment of the Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) which is aimed at reviewing and strengthening cooperation in areas including; Foreign Relations, Trade and Industry, Tourism, Agriculture, Sport, Science and Technology, Information and Communication Technology, Research and Development, and Gender, among others.”

Kakubo said the visit would provide an opportunity to share best practices in areas targeted at progress between the two countries.

“In addition, Zambia and Rwanda collaborate at regional, continental and international levels through joint membership at the United Nations, the Commonwealth, the African Union, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR). President Hichilema has emphasized the need to leverage the opportunities for intra-African trade, investment and tourism to ensure the resilience of economies and industries. Therefore, the visit will provide an opportunity to share best practices in areas targeted for progress. This is an important part of the Government’s approach, which places great value on working openly and collaboratively with a range of partners to unlock new opportunities for the country and its citizens. The Government is working to deliver a more conducive environment for local businesses to flourish and create jobs,” he said.

Kakubo said government was keen on emulating Rwanda’s success in Information and Communication Technology.

“President Hichilema’s government is keen to emulate Rwanda’s success in the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as it pursues universal and affordable Internet coverage for Zambians. In tourism, Rwanda has effectively positioned itself as an international business destination through its intensive marketing efforts and Zambia remains open to creating synergies in this sector. To this end, His Excellency President Kagame’s visit is expected to reinforce the bilateral relations, and further strengthen partnerships and cooperation at multilateral level in furtherance of common development aspirations, based on mutual benefit for the people in the two countries. His Excellency President Kagame is expected to depart on Tuesday 5th April, 2022 immediately after his engagements,” stated Kakubo.