The first of its kind in this Southern African country, the visit was marked by talks between His Majesty the King and President Edgar Chagwa Lungu and the signing of 19 governmental and economic partnership agreements between the two countries.

Here follows the full text of the joint statement issued following the state visit paid by HM King Mohammed VI to the Republic of Zambia:

1. At the invitation of His Excellency Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, King of the Kingdom of Morocco, undertook a State Visit to Zambia from 19th-21st February, 2017.

2. His Majesty King Mohammed VI was accompanied by a high level delegation which included various business leaders from different economic sectors from the Kingdom of Morocco.

3. On arrival at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, His Majesty King Mohammed VI was received by His Excellency Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia, and Senior Government Officials.

4. During the visit, His Excellency President Lungu and His Majesty King Mohammed VI expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the 28th Session of the AU Summit held from 22nd to 31st January, 2017, in Addis Ababa. His Excellency President Lungu welcomed Morocco's return to its institutional family and commended His Majesty the King’s address to the Summit as a historical moment paving the way for a promising contribution from Morocco to the development and stability of Africa.

5. His Excellency President Lungu also paid tribute to Morocco’s strategic engagement in Africa as a result of the vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

6. Both leaders affirmed their unwavering commitment to ensuring the stability and prosperity of Africa and, in that regard, His Majesty the King assured His Excellency the President of Morocco’s unwavering support to Zambia during the latter’s tenure on the African Union Peace and Security Council.

7. The two leaders expressed commitment to further strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation between Zambia and the Kingdom of Morocco, and during a fruitful one-on-one discussion, the two Heads of State discussed issues of mutual interest at bilateral, regional and multilateral levels. The discussions were held in an atmosphere of utmost friendliness that has long characterized the close and warm relations between Zambia and the Kingdom of Morocco.

8. His Majesty praised the initiatives undertaken by His Excellency President Lungu to advance the social and economic growth of Zambia. He commended His Excellency’s efforts to promote Zambia’s role as a key actor in the sub region and assured him of Morocco’s unwavering support.

9. His Majesty the King and His Excellency the President underscored the role of investment, both public and private, play in promoting economic growth and development in areas including agriculture, tourism, renewable energy, education, training, industry, investment, air services, financial services and insurance, as well as the development of economic zones.

10. In this regard, the two Heads of State expressed satisfaction at the successful outcome of the Business Forum held between the Zambian and Moroccan business community.

11. Further, the two Heads of State presided over the signing of a multiple number of bilateral Agreements and MOU’s in the fields mentioned above, providing a legal framework that would structure the bilateral cooperation between Zambia and Morocco.

12. His Excellency the President and His Majesty the King, therefore, agreed on the need to establish a Zambia/ Morocco Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation (JPC), which would provide the necessary legal framework for strengthening economic and social cooperation between the two countries.

13. With regard to issues of peace and security, the two Heads of State reiterated their commitment to fighting all forms of terrorism and working together to promote peace, security and stability on the continent, as well as to find lasting solutions to ongoing conflicts in Africa in order to attain a conducive environment that would advance the economic agenda of the continent.

14. His Majesty the king and His Excellency the President welcomed the successful outcome of COP22, which was held in November, 2016, in Marrakech and its enabling Decisions. In this context, His Excellency the President commended His Majesty the King for hosting a Summit of African Heads of State and Government on the margins of the COP22 Conference and, in particular, for the Adaptation of African Agriculture (A.A.A) initiative as a response to the challenges of climate change in Africa.

15. At the conclusion of the State Visit, His Majesty King Mohammed VI reaffirmed the commitment of the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco to further strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries. He also thanked His Excellency Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia for the warm reception and hospitality accorded to him and his delegation during the visit. His Majesty the King stated that his visit to Zambia demonstrates the importance the Kingdom of Morocco attaches to the existing warm bilateral relations with Zambia, and that he looked forward to receiving His Excellency the President in Morocco.

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