By ANTHONY MULOWA in Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA –
• PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu passes near portraits of former heads of State and Government at the African Union (AU) Headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia yesterday. Picture by SALIM HENRY/STATE HOUSE ©2016.
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu is on Thursday this week expected at the Vatican in Italy where he will meet Pope Francis.
Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba has told the Zambian media here that while in Italy, the Head of State would meet Pope Francis on February, 5.
Mr Kalaba said the visit to Italy followed an invitation presented to Mr Lungu by the special envoy of the Pope, Archbishop Paul Gallagher when he visited Zambia late last year.
He said while in Italy, Mr Lungu would also meet the Director General of the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and Food and Agricultural organisation (FAO).
Mr Kalaba said the President would later proceed to France where he would meet President Francois Hollande on February 8.
“While in France, President Lungu will witness the signing of three agreements between ZNBC and France 24, the University Of Zambia School of Mines and University of Nantes in France and another agreement between the Ministry of Finance and France Development Agency,“he said.
Mr Kalaba said the President would attend a business forum and meet selected high-profile French business executives during his stay in France.
He said French businessmen have shown interest to invest in Zambia.
Mr Lungu would be accompanied to the two countries by Commerce and Trade Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe and her Energy counterpart Dora Siliya.
