By JAMES KUNDA –

• PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu (left) talks to South Sudan’s Ambassador to Zambia Gabriel Gai Riak Makol after the presentation of credentials at State House in Lusaka yesterday. Picture by SALIM HENRY/STATE HOUSE

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has implored the diplomatic community in Zambia to harness the country’s investment potential and increase their countries’ investments in the various sectors of the economy.
Mr Lungu said Zambia boasted of a conducive environment for doing business with numerous investment opportunities in the fields of agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, energy, mining and water development.
“I, hereby, wish to urge all of your Excellencies to harness this potential during your tour of duty and increase your countries’ investments in Zambia,” the Head of State said.
President Lungu said this at State House in Lusaka yesterday, when he received letters of credence from nine new Ambassadors and a High Commissioner accredited to Zambia.
The new diplomats were Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Ambassador to Zambia Ebokwol Ghyor Mayele, his Sudanese counterpart Hussein Awad Ali,  Arthur Mattli representing Switzerland, Paul Cartier (Belgium) and Brahim Salam El-Mami of the Saharawi Arab Democratic Republic.
Others were Algerian Ambassador to Zambia Nacerdine Sai, his South Sudan counterpart Gabriel Gai Riak Makol, Nenad Prolog of Croatia, Harald Gunther (Austria) and Ghanaian High Commissioner to Zambia Morgan Adokwei Brown.
Mr Lungu, who congratulated the new appointees, highlighted various achievements that Zambia has recorded in cooperation with the 10 countries.
He said all the countries were partners in Zambia’s national development agenda and had rendered valuable assistance to the country in areas of health, education, agriculture, infrastructure development, energy, science and technology, trade and investment and water development.
“Zambia attaches great importance to her relations with your individual countries which are based on a firm foundation of mutual trust and respect.
“My Government appreciates these relations which have positively impacted on the lives of the Zambian people,” the President said.
Mr Lungu assured the envoys that Zambians were looking forward to warmly receiving the delegates who would be in the country to attend the134th Assembly of the Inter Parliamentary Union (IPU) and annual meeting of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in Lusaka next month and in May, respectively.
The ambassadors and high commissioner assured the President that their tour of duty in the country would be dedicated to further strengthening the cordial bonds that Zambia shared with the respective countries.