President of the Republic of Zambia Edgar Chagwa Lungu will be visiting India on a State Visit at the invitation of President Ram Nath Kovind from August 20-22, the statement said.
President Kovind had visited Zambia last year in April 2018. President Edgar Lungu would be accompanied by a high-level delegation including Minister for Foreign Affairs, Joseph Malanji; Minister for Commerce, Trade and Industry, Christopher Yaluma; Minister for Mines and Mineral Development Richard Musukwa; Presidential Affairs Minister, Freedom Sikazwe and senior Government officials, it said.
The official programme of President Lungu includes a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan, visit to Rajghat, meeting with the President and delegation-level talks with Prime Minister. A Banquet will be hosted by President Kovind in honour of the visiting President.
President Lungu will also participate in an India- Zambia Business Forum in New Delhi.
The bilateral talks are expected to review the entire gamut of bilateral relations and expected to cover issues of bilateral, regional and international interest. The discussion is likely to focus on cooperation in defence, security, geology and mineral resources, energy, health, education, infrastructure, culture, trade and investment related issues. Capacity building continues to be an important aspect of our engagement with Zambia.
This is the first visit at the level of Head of State from Africa after formation of the new Government and the first-ever visit of President Lungu to India. The visit is significant in the context of our Africa outreach policy, it added.
Our overall relations with Africa in defence, security, economic, trade & investment relations, development partnership and capacity building etc. are at an all-time high. The State visit of President Lungu will provide an opportunity to further energize our mutually beneficial partnership with Zambia, it said.
