JOINT COMMUNIQUE BY THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA AND THE REPUBLIC OF ANGOLA ISSUED AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE STATE VISIT TO THE REPUBLIC OF ANGOLA BY MR HAKAINDE HICHILEMA, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA HELD FROM 11TH TO 12TH JANUARY, 2023
1. At the invitation of His Excellency Mr. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of the Republic of Angola, Mr. Hakainde Hichilema, President of the Republic of Zambia, undertook a State Visit to the Republic of Angola, from 11th to 12th January 2023. President Hakainde Hichilema was accompanied by the First Lady, Mrs. Mutinta Hichilema.
2. President Hakainde Hichilema was also accompanied by Hon. Stanley Kakubo M.P, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Hon. Chipoka Mulenga M.P., Minister Commerce, Trade and Industry; Hon. Charles L. Milupi, M.P. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Frank Tayali, M.P. Minister of Transport and Logistics; Mr. Siazongo D. Sikalenge, Deputy Secretary to Cabinet, Finance and Economic Development, and H.E. Lawrence C. Chalungumana, Ambassador to the Republic of Angola and Senior Government Officials from the Republic of Zambia.
3. The official delegation of the Republic of Angola also included His Excellency Manuel Nunes Junior Minister of State for Economic Coordination; His Excellency Tete Antonio Minister of External Relations; Her Excellency Vera Esperanca dos Santos Daves de Sousa Minister of Finance; His Excellency Macy Claudio Lopes Minister of Justice and Human Rights; His Excellency Victor Francisco dos Santos Fernandes; Minister of Industry and Commerce; His Excellency Carlos Alberto Gregorio dos Santos Minister of Public Works, Urbanism and Habitation; His Excellency Joao Baptista Borges Minister of Energy and Water; His Excellency Ricardo Daniel Sandoa Queiros De Abreu Minister of Transport; His Excellenpcy Edeltrudes Mauricio Fernandes Gaspar da Costa Minister and Director Office of the President; His Excellency Victor Manuel Rita da Fonseca Lima Secretary for Diplomacy and International Cooperation of the Presidency; His Excellency Xavier Francisco Azevedo Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extra Ordinary of the Republic of Angola to the Republic of Zambia; His Excellency Jose Alexandre Barroso Secretary of State for Petroleum and Gas; His Excellency Paulino Fernando de Carvalho Jeronimo Chairman of the Agency for Petroleum and Gas; His Excellency Maria Carmo Bastos Corte Real Bernardo Chairman of the Development Bank of Angola and other senior Officials.
4. President Hichilema expressed appreciation to His Excellency Mr. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço and the people of the Republic of Angola for the warm welcome extended to him and his delegation on his Visit to Angola.
5. President Hichilema congratulated His Excellency President Lorenco on assuming the role of incoming President of the OACPS and for the successful hosting of the 10th Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Heads of State and Government Summit which was held on 9th December, 2022 in Luanda.
6. President Hichilema was undertaking his First State Visit to the Republic Angola. However, President Hichilema had traveled to the Republic of Angola to participate in the Inauguration Ceremony of His Excellency Mr. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço on 15th September, 2022. His Excellency Mr. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço had also undertaken a State Visit to the Republic of Zambia on 2nd May, 2018.
7. During the State Visit, the two Heads of States reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen and deepen the historic relations of friendship, good neighbourliness and cooperation that unite the two countries and people, having recognised the preponderant role of the Founding Fathers of the nations, His Excellency Dr. Antonio Agostinho Neto and His Excellency, Dr. Kenneth David Kaunda in building and promoting the excellent relations between the two countries.
8. The two Heads of States also discussed regional issues of mutual interest, including mediation initiatives led by Angola in the context of consolidating peace and security in Central Africa and in the Great Lakes region, particularly the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The two Heads of States also addressed the absolute need to restore peace in the Southern African Region, which has positioned itself as one of the most peaceful regions on the African Continent. The two Heads of States reaffirmed their commitment to resolves conflicts in the region, particularly in the Province of Cabo Delgado, in the Republic of Mozambique.
9. The two Heads of States highlighted the importance of peace and security issues in the regional integration agenda, and pledged to maintain an increasingly reinforced cooperation and collaboration in this matter, in the Regional Organisations to which both countries belong, namely, the African Union (AU), the Southern Development Community (SADC) and the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICRGL).
10. With regard to bilateral issues, the two Heads of States discussed the need to increase economic cooperation, highlighting:
(i) The project on the construction of the Angola/ Zambia Road through Jimbe border as part of the broader strategy to close the gap in the shortage of transport infrastructure aimed at linking the two countries by road;
(ii) The need to increase trade and investment volumes between the two countries as a way to improve the livelihood of the citizens of the two countries;
(iii) The need to collaborate in the resolving the energy crisis that affects the region by reinforce investments in the two countries in renewable energies such as solar, hydro- electric, wind and geothermal energy;
(iv) Enhance cooperation in the health sector in the areas of common interest; and
(v) Reestablish air connection between the two countries.
11. In this regard, the two Heads of States witnessed the signing of the Six (6) Legal Instruments in the areas of Energy, Infrastructure, Education, Trade and Justice, namely:
1) Agreement on the Creation of the Bi-National Commission between the Government of the Republic of Zambia and the Government of the Republic of Angola;
2) Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development of the Republic of Zambia and Ministry of Public Works, Urban Planning and Housing on cooperation to facilitate the development of the construction of the Zambia-Angola connection road via the Jimbe Border, and another at the Malundo Sikongo border;
3) Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Zambia and Ministry of Justice and Human Rights of the Republic of Angola;
4) Memorandum of Understanding between the National Institute of Public Administration (NIPA) and the National School of Administration and Public Policies (ENAPP), regarding cooperation between the two Institutions in the area of academic programs;
5) Memorandum of Understanding between the Zambia Bureau of Standards and the Angolan Institute for Standardisation and Quality; and
6) Memorandum of Understanding between the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) and the Investment Agency Private and Export Promotion of Angola (AIPEX).
12. On Energy, the Heads of States underscored the importance of investments in the Petroleum and gas sectors as a way to ensuring affordable fuel and petroleum products a key input in the productive sectors in both countries.
In this regard, President Hakainde Hichilema reiterated the interest of the Republic of Zambia in investing a stake in the Lobito Petroleum Refinery while His Excellency President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço reaffirmed the will of the Republic of Angola to invest in the downstream gas market in the Republic of Zambia, through among others, the construction of bulk storage facilities and a multi-product pipe line.
The two Heads of States acknowledged that these energy infrastructure projects will assist not only Zambia and Angola but the whole Southern Africa Region to have access to petroleum products.
13. On Transport Infrastructure Developments, the Heads of States acknowledged that although the two neighbouring countries enjoy a peaceful co-existence, there is still a serious shortage of Transport infrastructure that connects both countries either by Road, Rail, Water and Air.
The two Heads of States acknowledged that this lack of transport infrastructure has had a negative impact on trade and investment including on the movement of people, as well as on the operationalisation of the Lobito Corridor.
14. The State Visit was preceded by a Business Forum which was organised by the Zambia Development Agency and graced by the Hon. Chipoka Mulenga, M.P. Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry and his counterpart from Angola Minister of Commerce and Industry Hon. Victor Fernandes, M.P. In attendance was Hon. Charles L. Milupi, M.P. Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development and Hon. Frank Tayali, M.P. Minister of Transport and Logistics. Twenty Zambian companies and over sixty Angolan companies participated in the Business Forum.
15. During the State Visit, President Hakainde Hichilema undertook a conducted tour of the Lobito Refinery project, Lobito Port, and the Benguela Railway company.
16. At the conclusion of the State Visit, President Hakainde Hichilema expressed his appreciation to His Excellency Mr. João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço and the Angolan people for the warm welcome and the marks of affection reserved for him and his delegation on the first to the Republic of Angola, taking the opportunity to invite His Excellency President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço to visit the Republic of Zambia, on dates to be agreed upon through diplomatic channels.
Done at Luanda, Angola 12th January, 2023
🇿🇲🇦🇴