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The governments of Zambia and India have convened to evaluate their bilateral relations and address unresolved issues.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Etambuyu Gundersen, stated that the discussions focused on areas of mutual interest during the fourth session of the foreign office consultation meeting between Zambia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and India’s Ministry of External Affairs.
Gundersen highlighted that the discussions covered political relations, trade and investment, development cooperation, and regional and multilateral cooperation.
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“We will also finalise some Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and agreements in various areas such as health, trade, education, infrastructure, mining and agriculture,” she stated.
She stated the Ministry’s goal to foster a forward-looking agenda aligned with the aspirations of both countries and their citizens.
“I urge the concerned ministries and institutions where progress is slow to expedite internal consultations so that outstanding MoUs and agreements can be finalized as soon as possible,” she said.
Co-chair and Additional Secretary of India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Puneet Kundal, noted that the strong relationship between the two governments was also reflected in multilateral forums such as the United Nations.
“The year 2024 marks 60 years of our diplomatic relationship,” he pointed out.
Kundal added that India was seeking new avenues of cooperation that reflect the contemporary needs of both countries.
“Our bilateral trade is growing, standing at about $450 million annually,” he said, noting that Indian investments in Zambia were close to US$5 billion.
“We are also in the process of increasing our development partnership,” he said.
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