Zambia’s Foreign Minister Kabinga Pande to visit Finland

Press release 191/2007
1 October, 2007

Minister of Foreign Affairs Kabinga Pande of Zambia will visit Finland on 3–4 October as part of his trip throughout Europe. Previously Zambia’s Environment and Natural Resources Minister, Pande was appointed to his current position as Foreign Minister in August 2007.

Foreign Minister’s Pande will hold bilateral talks with Foreign Minister Ilkka Kanerva. The host of the working lunch will be Under-Secretary of State Markus Lyra. Foreign Minister Pande will discuss development cooperation issues with representatives of the Department for Development Policy and the Department for Africa and the Middle East at an unofficial dinner.

Zambia and Finland have good, problem-free relations. Zambia is one of Finland’s long-term partner countries for bilateral development cooperation. The amount of aid to Zambia is rising. Finland’s support to Zambia focuses on the environment and natural resources sector, on development of the private sector and on the agricultural sector. In addition, Finland has joined the donors of budget support with a view to poverty reduction.

Zambia has an interesting position in the Southern African region: the country assumed the year-long Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairmanship in August 2007. As concerns the question of Zimbabwe, the SADC has taken on the role of mediator between the government and the opposition. Other priorities of Zambia’s SADC chairmanship – formation of a free trade area and promotion of infrastructure projects – have important links with preparation of the EU’s Africa strategy and economic partnership negotiations.

Additional information: Counsellor Selma Honkanen, tel. +358 9 1605 6245 and First Secretary Terhi Bunders, tel. +358 9 1605 6343