ZAMBIA COURTS RUSSIAN INVESTORS

ZAMBIA and Russia have agreed to explore investment opportunities in new areas that include agriculture, tourism, manufacturing and mining among others, says Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji.

Mr Malanji has since invited the Russian business community to visit Zambia to explore and actualise the investment opportunities.

The Minister was addressing the Russian media in Moscow on Wednesday alongside his Russian counterpart Sergey Ravrov.

“I have also invited my

xcounterpart to visit Zambia to continue our discussions and improve our economic cooperation,” Mr Malanji said.

Mr Ravrov expressed his gratitude for Zambia’s support of Russia’s positions at the United Nations, most of which were intended to promote peace in the world and the current challenge of terrorism.

The Russian Minister noted with satisfaction Zambia’s role in promoting peace on the African continent and pledged his country’s continued cooperation with the southern African country. The Zambian Foreign Minister was in Russia as a follow up to the meeting President Edgar Lungu held

xwith his Russian counterpart last year during the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) summit in South Africa.

The two leaders had agreed to explore new areas of investment.

In this regard, the Zambian Government has been in discussions with Rosatom, a Russian State enterprise that would spearhead the construction of a Centre for Nuclear Science and Technology. The centre is intended for civilian purposes including medical and agricultural applications.

Currently, there were about 650 Zambians studying in Russia in different fields as part of the scholarship programme the country offers Zambia.

Of the scholarships offered to African countries, Zambia accounts for 11 percent.