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Bilateral relations key to regional integration—minister

 

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Francis Kasaila has said bilateral relations play a key role in promoting, enhancing and consolidating regional economic integration.

The minister spoke in Lusaka, Zambia, on Thursday on the sidelines of the 15th Session of the Joint Permanent Committee of Cooperation (JPCC).

Kasaila: Utilise trade agreement
 

He said the Malawi-Zambia Treaty will emphasise on the promotion, enhancement and consolidation of trade and economic activities.

Said Kasaila: “And in the spirit of regional economic trade and integration, the Malawi-Zambia Treaty we have just signed also talk strongly in support of the need to double trade between the two countries. This is because trade plays a major role in growth of economies.”

Malawi and Zambia are among the African States and governments in the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) that have ratified and adopted regional integration.

Kasaila said the Malawi-Zambia agreement has come at the right time when the two governments are working towards growing their economies.

He said: “I wish to ask people of the two countries to utilise the Malawi-Zambia Trade Agreement to boost their entrepreneurial activities thereby taking part in the economic growth of their respective countries.”

In his remarks, Zambia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Harry Kalaba challenged the two governments to periodically review and audit the activities of the cooperation to assess if the agreements are benefitting common citizens on the ground. n

 

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