MINISTER of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Stanley Kakubo is leading the Zambian delegation to the 43rd Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union (AU), July 13 to 14 in Nairobi, Kenya.
The delegation includes Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Chipoka Mulenga, who will join the meeting tomorrow.
The Executive Council or session of ministers is being held under the AU theme of the year 2023, “Acceleration of African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) implementation”.
The Executive Council is the principal advisory organ to the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union and provides oversight on the implementation of continental integration programmes and other priorities of agenda 2063.
In a statement, Mr Kakubo said during the session, the ministers will prepare for the 5th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting between the Heads of State constituting the Bureau of the AU Assembly and the Chairs of the Regional Economic Communities, which is scheduled to take place on16th July, 2023.
He said the executive council will also consider and adopt the budget for the AU Commission for the year 2024.
And Mr Kakubo has noted that Zambia’s participation in the council is in line with its strategic objective to expand market opportunities within Africa in line with the development aspirations to diversify the country’s economy and ensure value addition in the manufacturing sector, among others.
The Minister said the country’s participation in the AU matters, including the AFCFTA ensures that the country’s domestic and foreign investors are guaranteed of a huge market of 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of US$ 3.1 trillion.
“It is absolutely imperative for Zambia to be part of the development discourse of the African continent in line with the renewed focus on expanding opportunities for Zambians,” he said.
Mr Kakubo said the minister’s engagement will provide a platform for Zambia to work with other countries on the continent in mobilizing resources for trade and investment, particularly taking advantage of the opportunities presented by the AfCFTA.
(Mwebantu, Friday, 14th July, 2023)