President Hichilema Addresses EU Parliament, Holds Bilaterals in Brussels
President Hakainde Hichilema has today addressed the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium. It is the first time in Zambia’s history that a sitting President has been invited to address the EU Parliament. During his visit he has also undertaken a series of high-level bilateral meetings and participated in a roundtable discussion on the ‘Relationship between trade and food security’.
During his speech the President emphasised his commitment to restoring the rule of law and respect for human rights in Zambia, highlighting the importance of media freedom and ensuring that there is a conducive and enabling environment for civil society. He explained that the Government of Zambia is working to ensure that democracy in the country is built on inclusion not exclusion, with every Zambian citizen able to participate in governance.
The President went on to talk about some of the reforms the Government was undertaking in order to make these ambitions a reality, including the establishment of a truly independent and decentralised electoral commission that inspires confidence through its transparency as well as tackling the Public Order Act.
He explained that the Government is heavily focused on investing in youth, rebuilding the economy and repairing the social fabric of Zambia. In this task it was taking action, from opening up access to education through free education at the primary and secondary level to increased allocations to the Constituency Development Fund (CDF).
In addressing the EU Parliament President Hichilema stressed the importance of cooperation and mutually beneficial partnership on economic matters, noting Zambia’s capacity to produce quality goods and services for the EU and global markets. He highlighted the importance of agreeing favourable trade arrangements to unlock the economic potential, as well as EU support for improved access to credit for SMEs as a catalyst for job creation efforts through initiatives such as the Global Investment Package.
President Hichilema called for more collaboration in the agriculture sector, stating that through sustainable partnerships Zambia is ready and willing to step up and assist as the world faces critical shortages of certain goods. He also requested that the EU consider reviewing its visa policy for Zambians.
The President stressed his confidence that current efforts to restructure and stabilise the debt will be successful and thanked European partners for their cooperation in this regard. He noted that the exercise will better enable the Government to channel resources to productive activities that contribute to the economy and deliver better lives for the people of Zambia.