Angola's Lourenco visits Zambia
Wednesday May 02 2018
Angolan President Joao Lourenco during his first press briefing to mark 100 days in office at the Presidential Palace in Luanda on January 8, 2017. FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Angolan President Joao Lourenco arrived in Zambia Wednesday for a two-day state visit.
President Lourenco was scheduled to hold bilateral talks with his Zambian host Edgar Lungu at State House in Lusaka.
After the talks, the two leaders would witness the signing of bilateral agreements to strengthen trade and development cooperation.
President Lourenco will later grace the Angola-Zambia Business Forum and attend a state banquet.
Railway line
The Angolan head of state's will Thursday tour the Steel Manufacturing Plant south of Lusaka, before his departure.
Zambia and Angola have been envisaging to build a common railway line to boost their two economies.
Zambia also plans to open a refinery near its border to process crude oil imports from Angola.
Zambia has recently smoothed its relations with her western neighbour after they were rattled under the Fredrick Chiluba regime over his controversial support for Jonas Savimbi.
A peace deal
Dr Savimbi was the founding leader of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Unita), which fought a 27-year civil war with the Angolan government. Unita is now the main opposition party in Angola.
The controversial but charismatic leader was killed in battle against the ruling MPLA government forces on February 22, 2002 in Lucusse region.
His death paved the way for a peace deal that would bring an end to one of Africa's longest and bloodiest civil conflicts, which erupted after independence from Portugal in 1975.
The war left at least half a million people dead and some four million civilians displaced in the oil-rich nation.