Lungu asks world leaders to seek debt relief as Covid bites

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has asked member countries of the Organization of African Caribbean and Pacific States to solicit for debt relief or cancelation in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak.

President Lungu also called for the establishment of a virtual platform for sharing best practices and measures on the fight against the pandemic.

The President Said this during the first ever Virtual Extraordinary Intersession Summit of the Heads of State and Government for the Organization of African Caribbean and Pacific States which was chaired by Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta.

President Lungu also stressed the need for enhancing research and local development of vaccinations and cure of Covid-19.

“Let’s adequately mobilize resources from local and international community and direct our respective ambassadors and representatives in Brussels to lobby for enhanced support from the European Union,” he said.

President Lungu said the Covid-19 pandemic had caused massive distraction to lives worldwide and that Zambia had not been spared.

The Summit condemned the killing of a black American, Floyd George by Minneapolis police officer and called for the ending of racism.

The virtual summit was attended by South African president, Cyril Ramaposa, President of France Emmanuel Macron and UN secretary general António Guterres among other Heads of State and prime ministers.

The OACPS, formerly known as the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, comprises 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific states, with all, save Cuba, signatories to the Cotonou Agreement which binds them to the European Union.