By Betniko Kayaya

KIGALI, Jan 18 (NNN-ZANIS) — President Rupiah Banda of Zambia has arrived in Kigali where he is due to hold talks with Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame Monday.

President Banda was receievd on arrival at Kigali International Airport Sunday evening by Rwandan Prime Minister Bernard Makuza and other Rwandan officials.

Discussions between the two leaders are expected to cover the security in the Great Lakes Region among other issues.

President Banda, who is Chairman of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), is meeting President Kagame as part of his final consultations on the security situation in the Great Lakes ahead of the African Union (AU) ordinary summit of Heads of State and Government scheduled for the end of this month in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

President Banda and his delegation are expected to return to Lusaka after the meeting on Monday.

Meanwhile, Zambia’s Deputy High Commissioner (ambassador) to Tanzania, Patrick Ngoma, has spoken highly of the warm relations existing between Zambia and Rwanda, saying the two countries had stood together on many issues of mutual and international interest.

Ngoma was speaking to ZANIS in the capital Kigali ahead of President Banda’s arrival. The diplomat, whose embassy in Tanzania is also accredited to Rwanda, said President Banda’s visit was important as it would help deepen ties between Zambia and Rwanda.

He said the two leaders would consult each other on a wide range of bilateral and regional issues ahead of the AU summit.

As THE current chair of the ICGLR, President Banda has continued to work closely with his counterparts in search of peace so that the region can concentrate on economic development for the wellbeing of the people.

“Zambia has been a peace maker and our Head of State has continued to work closely with his counterparts to ensure lasting peace prevails in the region and the continent as a whole,” he said.

He added that the two countries needed to expand their trade and economic co-operation now that Rwanda and the Great Lakes were peaceful following the cessation of hostilities that characterized the region during the past years. — NNN-ZANIS

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