Lobito – Zambian Head of State Hakainde Hichilema is paying a few-hour visit to the coastal province of Benguela to learn about the economic infrastructures, as part of re-launch of cooperation between Angola and Zambia.
Before traveling to Benguela in morning, Hakainde Hichilema met with the president João Lourenço to bid farewell to the Angolan Statesman, as part of the official visit that began last Tuesday.
In Benguela, Zambian president will hold a courtesy meeting at the Government Palace.
The agenda includes visit to Lobito city to learn of the potential of the local Lobito, the Benguela Railway ( CFB) and the Refinery.
In Angola, at the invitation of President João Lourenço, Hakainde Hichilema laid wreaths at the sarcophagus of Agostinho Neto and in the tomb where the remains of the former president José Eduardo dos Santos are laid to rest.
He also delivered speech during a solemn session of the National Assembly in Luanda.
As part of the 72-hour visit of the statesman, Angola and Zambia reinforced bilateral cooperation, with the signing of six legal instruments.
The two countries signed five memorandums of understanding and an agreement during a ceremony attended by the Head of State of Angola João Lourenço and his Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema.
As for the memorandums of understanding, the first is designed for National School of Public Administration and Policy (ENAPP) and the National Institute of Public Administration of Zambia (NIPA).
The second memorandum concerns cooperation between the Justice and Human Rights sectors of the two countries.
Still in the framework of the memorandum of understanding, the third is intended for the construction of border connection roads between Angola and Zambia, in the Jimbe (Angola) – Mwinulunga, Mapelenga and Sikongo (Zambia) sections.
The fourth memorandum of understanding links the Private Investment and Export Promotion Agency (AIPEX) and the Zambian Development Agency (ZDA).
The fifth is between the National Institute of Quality Infrastructures (INIQ), from Angola, and the “Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS).
This memorandum concerns standardisation, conformity assessment and training.
Also this Wednesday, Angola and Zambia signed an agreement for the creation of the Bilateral Cooperation Commission.
In May 2018, the two States had already signed five cooperation agreements, which, at the time, totaled 14 legal instruments in the most varied areas.
Source: Angola Press News Agency