Minister of Defence, Davies Chama has arrived in Turkey’s commercial and industrial hub of Istanbul to attend the three-day 14thInternational Defence Industry Fair (IDEF).
The Minister will today be among dignitaries invited to attend IDEF, which is will be officially opened by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Mr Chama is also expected to hold bilateral talks with his Turkish counterpart Hulusi Akar to discuss issues of mutual interest on the sidelines of IDEF, which has attracted over 1,000 Turkish and international exhibitors.
He is also expected to interact with captains of the defence industry that have converged on Istanbul to showcase latest state-of-the-art equipment, materials and systems produced in the fields of defense, security, maritime and aerospace industry.
The Minister and his delegation was received at the new mega Istanbul Airport by Zambia’s Ambassador to Turkey, Joseph Chilengi, Senior Turkish officials and Embassy Staff.
Zambia’s Ambassador to Turkey, Dr Joseph Chilengi said Zambia as a strong advocate of international peace and security supports initiatives like IDEF.
“Zambia under the leadership of His Excellency Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia, has been participating in various peace-keeping missions in Africa and IDEF provides an important platform for defence cooperation and to discuss issues related to global peace and security,” Dr Chilengi said.
And according to a statement posted on the official IDEF website, Mr Akar, who is Turkey’s Minister of National Defence, said IDEF is held biannually since 1993 under the administration of the Turkish Armed Forces Foundation and hosted by the Ministry of National Defence.
“Thus, technological developments in these sectors can be observed by delegations, companies and visitors. Due to these roles, IDEF is one of the most important international defense industry cooperation and promotion platforms in the world,” Mr Akar said.
This is contained in a statement issued by Jerry Munthali First Secretary (Press) Embassy of the republic of Zambia in Ankara Turkey.
