WE HAVE MOVED ZAMBIA TO A POSITIVE ECONOMIC OUTLOOK, HAIMBE ASSURES UK

 

 

Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, Mulambo Haimbe, has assured the United Kingdom that Zambia’s current administration has steered the country from a challenging debt position to a positive economic outlook underpinned by strong fundamentals.

Mr. Haimbe also reaffirmed Zambia’s commitment to democracy and human rights, emphasizing that the Government would continue “taking bold steps” and “walking the talk” on its democratic principles.

The Minister delivered these remarks during a meeting with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for the Commonwealth), Chris Elmore, at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on Friday afternoon.

Mr. Haimbe is in London to attend the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group (CMAG) meeting, which began today, and the Commonwealth Foreign Ministers Meeting (CFAMM) scheduled for tomorrow. He will also participate in this year’s Commonwealth Day activities on Monday.

Zambia currently serves as Vice-Chair of CMAG—the Commonwealth’s mechanism mandated to uphold the organisation’s fundamental political values, including democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

The two Ministers discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest, covering multilateralism, peace and security, reforms within the Commonwealth, democracy, and investment.

Mr. Elmore acknowledged President Hakainde Hichilema’s commitment to holding free and fair elections in Zambia, noting that this mattered greatly to the United Kingdom in promoting democracy as a central pillar of its engagement.

He further expressed the UK’s willingness to continue collaborating with Zambia on matters of transparency, multilateralism, democracy, and human rights, observing that Zambia had been receiving “incredibly positive” feedback in these areas.

In response, Mr. Haimbe described the positive feedback as highly encouraging and reaffirmed Zambia’s openness to peer review at the highest levels. He added that the Government was intent on moving away from a “business-as-usual” approach and adopting more practical, hands-on, and outcome-based partnerships.

Highlighting Zambia’s renewed investment drive, Hon. Haimbe said the focus was now on expanding private sector participation in key sectors such as mining, energy, and tourism.“That’s the real focus right now. I think you have also noticed that we have moved the country from a very difficult situation—being debt-ridden—to a positive economic outlook with strong fundamentals,” he said.

The Minister also acknowledged global challenges, noting that the ongoing crisis in the Gulf region could lead to rising costs of consumables and petroleum products. He reiterated Zambia’s commitment to attracting investment and technical support across various sectors, and reaffirmed the country’s continued fight against corruption as a key aspect of its governance agenda.

Mr. Haimbe further expressed gratitude for the UK Government’s £2.5 billion Green Compact support to Zambia and for the ongoing partnerships in diverse areas of mutual interest.

This is according to a statement issued by First Secretary – Press at the Zambia High Commission in London, Speedwell Mupuchi.