CAIRO – 24 February 2025: President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi received Monday his Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema as they held bilateral talks on means of boosting bilateral ties, both leaders later attended the signing of a number of cooperation agreements.
In a joint press conference, President Sisi stated that the two sides agreed on bolstering political consultations, encouraging reciprocal investments, and cooperation in the sectors of agriculture, aquaculture, and infrastructure.
The president affirmed Egypt's readiness to transfer its developmental experience, contribute to human capacity-building in fields of priorities, and develop the operation mechanisms of Zambian state institutions.
The two sides also conferred over investment opportunities in Lobito Corridor, which is a means of transporting critical raw materials (CRMs), strategic minerals, and products of the Electric Vehicle (EV) battery value chain, from DR Congo and Zambia to the EU and U.S. traversing 1,300 kilometers to the Atlantic Ocean through Angola.
Moreover, in order to push forward economic collaboration, an Egyptian-Zambian business forum is taking place in tandem with the Zambian president's visit to Cairo.
President Sisi and President Hichilema exchanged views on the developmental challenges the continent is facing, especially the rise in poverty rates, debt crisis, climate change.
Hence, they agreed on joint work and coordinated stances to put African priorities on the international agenda, reform regional organizations, and benefit from free trade agreements in Africa such as the AfCFTA, COMESA, and TFTA.
As for the regional and international issues addressed, they included conflicts in Gaza Strip, Sudan, DR Congo, Horn of Africa, targeting ships by Houthis in the Red Sea security, and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Mon, Feb. 24, 2025
