An agreement on cooperation between the internal affairs ministries of Russia and Zambia has been concluded and is ready for signing, Russian Ambassador to Zambia Alexander Boldyrev told Sputnik
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th December, 2020) An agreement on cooperation between the internal affairs ministries of Russia and Zambia has been concluded and is ready for signing, Russian Ambassador to Zambia Alexander Boldyrev told Sputnik.
Boldyrev pointed out that recently, there has been an intensification of bilateral contacts, including through high-level and top-level meeting. He also recalled that in 2018, Zambia and Russia entered a qualitatively new stage of interstate dialogue thanks to a separate full-format meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Zambian counterpart, Edgar Lungu, which was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, for the first time in the history of bilateral relations. In October 2019, the first Russia-Africa Summit and the Russia-Africa economic forum were held in Sochi, in which Zambian Foreign Minister Joseph Malanji participated.
"In February of this year, the delegation of the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, headed by Valentina Matviyenko, visited the republic, which confirmed Russia's focus on building up the entire range of ties. The legal framework of the two countries was enriched last year by the intergovernmental agreement on visa-free travel for holders of diplomatic passports. An agreement on cooperation between Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Zambia's Ministry of Internal Affairs is ready for signing," Boldyrev said.
Boldyrev also pointed to the recent revitalization of interaction between the two countries' political parties, and revealed that the United Russia Party and Zambia's ruling party, the Patriotic Front, are in talks on prospective cooperation agreement.
"All this should diversify the Russian-Zambian agenda, and give the relations the necessary impetus for expanding ties between Zambia and Russia, including at the regional level. Points of contact of interests can be found in the agro-industrial complex, the military-industrial complex, energy, services, light industry, in the IT sector and tourism," Boldyrev noted.
Boldyrev suggested that Russia's major manufacturers of agricultural machinery, such as the Rostselmash Group, the Tractor Plants concern, PJSC Kirovsky Zavod, and others, should analyze export opportunities, and perhaps even the possibility to assembly products in Zambia.
"Also, the authorities of Zambia are especially interested in the development of railway communication, modernization of tracks and rolling stock. Now, trucks entering mining provinces are seriously destroying the roadbed, which would have been avoided with the normal functioning of the railway transport. Moreover, domestic companies producing mineral fertilizers, PJSC Uralkali of the Perm Territory and JSC UCC Uralchem from Moscow, have significant potential for developing the local market and continue to "look closely" at the profitability of doing business in the region," Boldyrev said.
The ambassador went on to say that given the continuing high demographic dynamics, the predominance of young people under 35 and their lack of access to modern digital financial technologies, the participation of domestic companies in the IT sector may become the basis for bilateral cooperation in the future.
"We are talking not so much about recognized IT giants like Yandex and Mail.ru Group, but rather about small companies involved in the creation of information resources, internet services and mobile applications. Zambia highly appreciates the vast scientific and technological experience and production capabilities of Russia, and expresses interest and readiness to expand mutually beneficial partnerships in these areas," Boldyrev added.
According to the Russian ambassador, the project for construction of the Center for Nuclear Science and Technology, launched in Zambia in 2015 under the auspices of Russia's Rosatom, "continues to play the role of the locomotive in promoting capital-intensive projects in the Zambian market,"
Boldyrev underscored that since the establishment of the Zambian state in 1964, Russia and Zambia have been building their relations on the basis of friendship, equal partnership and constant consideration of each other's interests. He noted that this line is reflected in the promotion of the international agenda, where the two nations' positions coincide or are close. The diplomat specified that this applies primarily to such a global institution as the United Nations.
Commenting on the coverage of Russia by the Zambian media, Boldyrev pointed out that Zambian publications about Russia are largely benevolent, maintaining a respectful and friendly tone. The ambassador noted that the share of analytical and editorial articles is traditionally small, and also explained that visits by reporters from Zambia to foreign countries are extremely rare because of their infrequent inclusion in official delegations due to the lack of funds for such overseas trips by media operators.
"The government's modest financial support for the Zambian media market also prevents them from maintaining foreign bureaus, forcing them to use the services of leading news outlets. In the column of international news, you can often find reprinted articles of the English-language press, and not materials revised by the editors containing the author's conclusions," Boldyrev noted.
Boldyrev said that the Russian embassy is trying to actively interact with representatives of the Zambian media. He underscored that any foreign news piece has a chance to become a leading article in the Zambian print and online publications only in the case of direct or indirect participation of the Zambian side in it.
"Exceptions can be made only for credible foreign media companies, whose articles describe the social and economic achievements of the Republic in a positive way. In the absence of Russian bureaus in the host country, only by increasing interstate and cultural interaction can the level of citation of the Russian press be raised and the accents in the perception of Russian events can be shifted." the ambassador recalled.
The diplomat also noted that Zambian tv broadcast a speech for the Russian audience on the Russia Day, celebrated annually on June 12.
