President Hichilema Welcomes Italian International Cooperation at State House
President Hakainde Hichilema today welcomed a delegation from the Italian International Cooperation at State House, marking a significant step in strengthening the longstanding relationship between Zambia and Italy.
President Hichilema expressed his gratitude for the visit, highlighting the historical ties between the two nations since Zambia’s independence.
He commended the Italian government for its willingness to collaborate on various engineering, water, irrigation, and agricultural projects, which are crucial for Zambia’s development.
The President acknowledged the growing threat of climate change, emphasizing the need for collaborative efforts to mitigate its impact on Zambia and other affected countries.
He expressed his delight over Italy’s pledge of 320 million US dollars to support the Lobito Corridor, a strategic initiative aimed at creating connectivity from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean.
“Enhancing our relationship beyond what it has been is crucial,” President Hichilema stated, suggesting the development of an action plan to monitor the progress of Italian-financed projects in Zambia.
He praised Italy for its numerous completed engineering projects, including bridge construction and industrial developments such as Indeni.
Stefano Gatti, Director General for Development Cooperation, confirmed that Zambia has become a new priority for Italy’s development cooperation, which focuses on 23 countries globally.
The delegation’s visit aims to kick-start development cooperation between Zambia and Italy, including resource mobilization and capacity identification.
Gatti expressed concern about the current drought situation in Zambia, assuring the President that Italy stands ready to provide support during this challenging time. The two countries will work together to identify common initiatives and infrastructure projects, particularly in the agricultural sector.
“Agriculture is a major contributor to Italy’s GDP,” Gatti noted, expressing Italy’s commitment to making the Lobito Corridor a green corridor with food production.
The meeting concluded with both parties optimistic about the future of Zambia-Italy cooperation, underscoring the importance of collaboration to ensure that Africa, including Zambia, does not fall behind in development.
