By Mast Reporter
MINISTER of Transport and Logistics Frank Tayali says that the change of administration in the United States (US) should not derail the progress made on the Lobito Corridor project.
Speaking during a panel discussion dubbed Dialogue on the Lobito Corridor, Critical Minerals and US Collaboration, Tayali said Zambia remained open to working with the American government as a way of enhancing economic diplomacy at the ongoing Investing in African Mining Indaba in Capetown, South Africa.
This is contained in a statement issued yesterday by the ministry’s communication unit.
He said for a long time Zambia was predominantly skewed towards working with the East, but now has opened doors to also work with the US because it was happy with some of the work that had been done so far.
Tayali said the collaboration and support of the US government had been seen in the pivotal role played in the soon-to-be opened car battery manufacturing plant in Ndola in the Copperbelt Province.
The US should not create a vacuum that other people might want to fill up, but leverage on the gains that the two countries have realised together over time.
Tayali said it was important that the US government maintained that strategic global leadership to help the Global South achieve some of the much-needed economic advancement.
He said this will also help in reducing the burden on the number of migrants who would have to be removed from that country.
Zambia is host country for the only greenfield portion of the Lobito rail line, and the government has lined up plans to leverage this rail line to promote investment in the mining and other sectors such as agriculture and tourism.
