GOVERNMENT has signed seven Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with the Rwandan government in a bid to promote trade and investment between the two countries.

On Monday morning, President Hakainde Hichilema received his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame who is in the country for a two-day state visit in Livingstone.

The MoUs were signed by Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister Stanley Kakubo and his Rwandan counterpart Vincent Biruta.

The MOUs which were signed included; the understanding between the two countries in the area of revenue authority; the MOU in the area of trade and investment cooperation; MoU on development agency and the Rwanda Development board; MoU in the field of immigration matters; MoU in the field of health; MoU in the field of fisheries and livestock development; MoU in the field of agriculture.

And in a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Anthony Bwalya said the legal instruments were part of government’s ongoing efforts to rebuild the country’s economy, create jobs and put food on the table.

“Seven Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) have been signed between the government of the Republic of Zambia and the government of the Republic of Rwanda during the ongoing state visit of H.E Mr Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda. The legal instruments are part of the government’s ongoing efforts to rebuild the economy, create jobs and put food on the table. The instruments cover fisheries and livestock, agriculture, health, trade and Investment, revenue authorities, development agencies and immigration matters,” he stated.

Bwalya said the MoUs build on a long history of warm relations and previous bilateral agreements between the two countries.

“During the ongoing state visit, H.E. President Paul Kagame and H.E. President Hakainde Hichilema have held bilateral talks to discuss matters of mutual interest at bilateral, regional and international levels, including the great potential that exists for Zambia and Rwanda to increase trade between the two countries,” said Bwalya.

“The government of the Republic of Zambia is also using the opportunity to learn and share best practices in areas of information and communications technology, as well as areas of easing the cost of doing business. In tourism, Rwanda has also effectively positioned itself as an international business destination through intensive marketing efforts and Zambia is also working to intensify efforts aimed at repositioning the tourism sector into a key economic path. The MoUs build on a long history of warm relations and previous bilateral agreements between the two countries. They represent the latest in a growing list of international agreements signed under the new administration.”

And in a statement shared on his Facebook page, President Hakainde Hichilema said the economies could flourish if regional trade and investment was prioritised and promoted.

“Zambia today signed seven Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with Rwanda, whose main objective is to promote trade and investment between the two sister countries. The MoUs were signed by the respective Ministers of Foreign Affairs as part of President Kagame’s two-day state visit. Like we have always stated, Zambia believes that our economies can flourish if regional trade and investment was prioritised and promoted and this is exactly what we did today with the Republic of Rwanda,” said President Hichilema.

The Heads of State, later on, went to catch a glimpse of the Victoria Falls Bridge between Zambia and Zimbabwe.