Zambia is keen to cooperate with Russian businesses in the automotive industry to ramp up the electric car sector, Zambian Ambassador to Russia Shadreck Chingembu Luwita told Sputnik Africa at the "Open Africa" business forum, which was held in Moscow on September 14. The event was organized by the public organization Business Russia.
The ambassador explained that in light of the gradual shift away from the use of traditional vehicles and the country's wealth of resources used for electric transportation, Russian partners could assist Lusaka with the production of components for this mode of vehicle.
"Now, with the phasing out of carbon emission motor vehicles and EV [electric vehicles] now coming on board, you may wish to know that Zambia is endowed with minerals such as cobalt, manganese, lithium. So we are looking for Russian partners to develop this industry so that we are able to produce the accessories for the EV," Chingembu Luwita said.
In addition to the auto industry, the ambassador signaled Zambia's interest in partnering with Russia in the agricultural sector. The diplomat pointed to the vast available arable land in the African country, where each of the ten provinces has 100,000 hectares, which could be developed with the help of Russia's cutting-edge innovations.
"Riding on the existing advanced technology [in] Russia, we are looking for partnerships to develop this arable land," the envoy argued.
Cooperation between Moscow and Lusaka in food security is also of paramount importance, Chingembu Luwita said. In this regard, the ambassador noted the favorable geographical position of Zambia, which is connected to markets of Southern, Central and Northern Africa.
Commenting on Zambian-Russian relations, the ambassador pointed out that bilateral contacts have intensified "quite high" in recent months.
"I have been receiving an average of three or four companies almost every week making inquiries to the possibilities of investing in my country," Chingembu Luwita revealed.
Earlier, on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa summit in July, Fred M'membe, a renowned Zambian journalist and current chairman of the country's Socialist Party, told Sputnik Africa that cooperation with countries like Russia "will help Zambia to liberate ourselves" from colonialism.
On September 14, in the mansion on Delegatskaya street in Moscow, the public organization Business Russia held the Open Africa business forum. The platform brought together more than 100 entrepreneurs and representatives of the business community from Russia and more than 10 African countries. During three thematic sessions and b2b meetings, issues of deepening trade and economic cooperation, expanding investment interaction and cooperation in priority sectors for the economies of the two countries were discussed. African colleagues named priority sectors for investment and production development for the economies of the continent.