By Staff Writer
President Edgar Lungu is expected in Turkey to attend the inauguration ceremony of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan scheduled for Monday, July 9, 2018 in the capital, Ankara.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Malanji said President Lungu is expected to attend the inauguration ceremony at invitation of his Turkish counterpart.
Mr Malanji, who was flanked by Zambia’s Ambassador-designate to the Republic of Turkey, Mr Joseph Chilengi, said Mr Lungu is among five African Heads of State and other world leaders invited to attend President Erdogan’s inauguration ceremony.
The minister was speaking in Ankara yesterday shortly after a bilateral meeting with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu ahead of President Lungu’s expected visit to Turkey.
Mr Malanji said President Lungu’s visit to Turkey is of paramount importance to Zambia as it will strengthen relations and trade between the two countries.
He also said part from attending the inauguration ceremony, President Lungu is also expected to hold a bilateral meeting with President Erdogan to discuss issues of mutual interest between Zambia and Turkey.
The minister also said he and Mr Cavusoglu discussed the signing of a number of pending co-operation agreements between Zambia and Turkey.
“You know with the policies that we have put in place, it is only prudent that we are aggressive to make sure that national development blueprints like the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP) can be brought to precision,” Mr Malanji said.
President Erdogan won the June 24, 2018 snap Presidential and parliamentary elections with a 52.6 percent first round majority vote to become Turkey’s first executive President under the new constitution.
Under the new executive presidential system, Turkey will have 16 ministries while the Prime Minister’s office will be abolished.
This is according media statement by First Secretary for Press at the Zambian Embassy in Turkey Jerry Munthali.
