President Hakainde Hichilema says Zambia’s relationship with the United States has outlived political personalities and should now be anchored more firmly on economic cooperation, signalling an effort to stabilise ties after a recent diplomatic rift over a minerals‑for‑aid proposal.
“The US-Zambia partnership has outlived personalities on both sides. The American and Zambian people have been together for so long and we want to make sure that we maintain that partnership because it’s of vital importance.”
He made the remarks on Wednesday when newly appointed US chargé d’affaires Mich Coker paid a courtesy call at State House.
Hichilema said the long‑standing partnership between the two countries must be preserved but re‑oriented toward investment, technology transfer and private‑sector‑driven growth.
He noted that while cooperation had traditionally focused on aid and people‑to‑people programmes, Zambia now wanted to “gravitate it a little more toward economic cooperation” and expand trade and joint ventures for mutual benefit.
He added that both countries needed to “bring the private sector on the table” to deepen commercial ties beyond historical diplomatic links.
The comments come weeks after tensions flared between Lusaka and Washington over two issues: a proposed US minerals‑for‑aid framework that Zambia criticised as undermining sovereignty, and a stalled US$2 billion health package that the US sought to tie to extensive access to Zambian medical data.
The dispute prompted sharp public exchanges, with Zambia insisting that partnerships must respect national interests and equitable terms.
Hichilema has since sought to ease tensions, emphasising that disagreements should not derail broader cooperation.
Coker said the bilateral relationship remained “extraordinarily strong” and must endure regardless of changes in leadership.
“Leadership may change but the relationship between the United States and Zambia is strong and absolutely must endure,” he said.
JN/APA