RB MEETS DONORS BEFORE HOSTING TSERETSE KHAMA AT ZITF IN NDOLA

His Excellency, Mr. Rupiah Banda, President of the Republic of Zambia is on Friday expected to travel to Copperbelt Province where he will host his counterpart, His Excellency, Lt. General Seretse Khama Ian Khama, President of the Republic of Botswana.

President Banda will travel to Ndola to receive President Khama, who is due to arrive on Saturday for an official visit, which will coincide with the official opening of the 46th Zambia International Trade Fair (ZITF). President Khama is expected to be the guest of honour at the ZITF.

The President will be accompanied by Commerce and Trade Minister Hon. Felix Mutati, MP, and other Senior Government Officials.

The President and his delegation are expected to return to Lusaka on Sunday.

Meanwhile President Banda, also held a closed-door meeting on Thursday 1 July, 2010 with the Cooperating Partners Group Troika at State House where they discussed a number of issues of mutual interest.

The President met the Troika where issues’ pertaining to Zambia’s political and economic developments were discussed. President Banda informed the Cooperating Partners that Zambia had performed well in recent years in terms of economic development.

President Banda bemoaned the culture of violence that recently rocked the by-elections in Zambia. Both the Cooperating Partners and President Banda vehemently condemned political violence and called for peaceful campaigns.

And the Cooperating Partners pledged to continue supporting the Government’s development programmes and promised to continue with their support. They further welcomed President Banda’s openness with them on a number of issues.

President Banda was accompanied to the meeting by Finance and National Planning Minister Hon. Situmbeko Musokotwane, MP, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Kabinga Pande, MP, and Minister of Information and Broadcasting Hon. Gen. Ronnie Shikapwashya, MP.