Zambia Calls for Mutually Beneficial Partnerships at Korea-Africa Summit
Hon. Mulambo Haimbe, SC. M.P., Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, represented President Hakainde Hichilema at the inaugural 2024 Korea-Africa Summit in Seoul.
In his address, Minister Haimbe emphasized the importance of fostering mutually beneficial partnerships between Korea and Africa, highlighting the potential for significant socio-economic advancements.
Hon. Haimbe congratulated Korea for hosting the Summit, noting it as a testament to the enduring bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two regions.
He praised Korea’s contributions to Africa’s socio-economic progress, particularly in capacity building, infrastructure development, agriculture, technology transfer, and peace and security.
The Minister acknowledged Korea’s expanded Official Development Assistance of up to US$10 billion and export financing allocation of approximately US$14 billion aimed at encouraging Korean companies to boost trade and investment in Africa.
Minister Haimbe underscored Zambia and Africa’s anticipation for partnerships that focus on value addition to raw materials, including critical minerals, in the host countries.
He emphasized the need for export-led strategies that have significantly contributed to Korea’s own economic advancement.
Addressing global challenges, Minister Haimbe highlighted the grave threat of climate change to Africa’s sustainable development.
He expressed Zambia’s readiness for collaborations that tackle food and energy shortages through funding irrigation projects, building canals and dams, setting up water harvesting systems, and expanding the use of renewable energy sources.
He also pointed out the energy crisis in Southern Africa, advocating for sustainable infrastructure development in the energy sector.
This includes the construction of a transmission line to interconnect Zambia with its upstream neighbors, such as Tanzania, which has excess power generation capacity, to the Southern African Power Pool.
Reaffirming Zambia’s commitment to global peace and security, Minister Haimbe stated, “Instability Anywhere is Instability Everywhere.”
He reiterated Zambia’s dedication to promoting solidarity, peace, and security, and called for enhanced collaboration in multilateral fora.
The Korea-Africa Summit, held under the theme “The Future We Make Together: Shared Growth, Sustainability, and Solidarity,” takes place from June 4 to 5, 2024. It follows the Meeting of Ministers of Foreign Affairs held on June 2, 2024.
