By MWIYA MUKUMBUTA –
THE United States of America values Zambia as an important ally on security matters, visiting Head of US National Defence University Admiral Gregory Johnson (retired) has said.
Admiral Johnson, who is leading a delegation of new US admirals and generals from the US National Defence University, said his team is in the country to exchange notes with their Zambian counterparts.
He said Zambia was one of the African countries with good ties with the US security forces.
He was speaking in an interview in Livingstone at the weekend.
He said Zambia and the US, had common interests in ensuring peace and security, and that the delegation would today have more discussions with the Ministry of Defence in Lusaka.
“We need to provide peace and security throughout the world, so that all of us can aspire and achieve those kinds of goals that we have for our personal well-being and that of our respective nations,” Admiral Johnson said.
Brigadier General Kelvin Huyck on behalf of the US Air Force, Navy Coast Guards, and Marines, thanked the Zambia Airforce (ZAF) officers describing them as being motivated in basic and advanced training.
ZAF Brigadier General Mathias Kiyembe said Zambia was a developing nation and as such it needed to work with developed countries to improve its air force training.
“Time and again we have to undergo training with other air forces that are much more advanced so as to get more knowledge on how best to conduct military trainings,” Brig Gen Kiyembe said.