Cuba, Zambia relations intact
By NATION REPORTER THE expulsion of the Cuban ambassador to Zambia Nelson Pages Vilas will not affect the warm relation between Lusaka and Havana, New Congress party (NCP) president Peter Chanda has said.
Mr Chanda explained that it was the conduct of Ambassador Vilas that had led to his expulsion.
He said that the Zambian government had not closed down the Cuban embassy despite what had transpired on Saturday last week.
He was positive that the bilateral relations between the two countries remained strong.
“I believe that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cuba should be able to sit down and harmonize the situation.
“I believe that the conduct of the ambassador is what caused him to be expelled not that the Zambian government has closed the Cuban Embassy in the country,” the opposition leader said.
He said that people should not be misled that the expulsion of the Ambassador meant the closure of an embassy in Lusaka.
He said the move also could not bring about the souring of the relationship between the two governments.
“This has everything to do with the conduct of the ambassador which the Patriotic Front (PF) government is not happy with” he said
Mr Chanda advised other ambassadors to learn from what transpired saying “in as much as they have ties, relationships and connections with other opposition political leaders within the country” they needed to operate above board and understand that their allegiance first was to the government in power.
He said the conduct of one person should not break the relationship of the two governments, adding that consultations between the two states should remain unchanged.
“We want to advise the ambassadors to country that they have a duty to represent their countries and they don’t have a duty to interfere in the country’s democratic dispersion,
“And at the same time l don’t think it is right for any ambassador to declare support to political party in the opposition and declare his government’s support to a political party,” Mr Chanda said