Angolan President invites President Lungu

Angolan President, Jose Eduardo Santos, has invited President Edgar Lungu to address a special session of Parliament  and witness the launch of the reconstructed Benguela railways on February 14, 2015.

The railway link is expected to boost trade between Zambia and Angola that share a huge border in north-western part of Zambia.

This is contained in statement issued to ZANIS by Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations to the President, Amos Chanda.

Mr Chanda said President Lungu has humbly accepted the invitation and thanked his Angolan counterpart for the extraordinary honour, which he says will greatly cement Zambia’s renewed relations with the strategic neighbour.

He said after addressing Parliament the two Presidents will fly to Luau, Moxico Province, to join the Democratic Republic of Congo President, Joseph Kabila, for the official launch of rehabilitated Benguela railways.

This is where president will unveil a plaque, get a special briefing on the Lobito transport corridor and have a joint press conference with Presidents Santos and Kabila.

While in Angola the President will visit the memorial of founding President, Antonio Agostinho Neto, and attend full military honours and state lunch at the president palace.

Meanwhile, in line with the re-launched foreign Zambia policy, the President has instructed Minister of Foreign Affairs to actively pursue constructive engagements at both bilateral and multilateral levels so that Zambia maximises economic gains and builds strategic political ties with international partners.

President Lungu will depart Lusaka for Luanda on february13, 2015.