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Russian envoy wants Zambia to be self-reliant

Russian envoy wants Zambia to be self-reliant
By Mutuna Chanda
Monday March 03, 2008 [03:01]

RUSSIAN Ambassador to Zambia Anvar Azimov has said his country wants to see Zambia economically self-reliant instead of depending on loans and donor aid. And Ambassador Azimov has said irrespective of who won the presidential elections in Russia that took place yesterday, his country would continue playing a role in stabilising the world.

Meanwhile, 80 eligible Russian voters based in Zambia were yesterday expected to cast their votes at the Russian embassy in presidential elections that were held to elect Vladimir Putin’s successor. In an interview, Ambassador Azimov said Zambia needed to develop its industry and agriculture sector.

“The present government has largely succeeded in achieving results in the economy, foreign policy and we appreciate the political stability that Zambia is experiencing,” Ambassador Azimov said. “Problems remain in fighting poverty, improving the standards of living of the people and fighting infectious diseases.”

He said much as Zambia had managed to become politically independent, Russia wanted to see it economically self-reliant.

“The most important thing for Zambia is to develop industry and its agriculture sector and not depend on loans and donations of foreign countries,” Ambassador Azimov said. “I have no doubt that sooner or later Zambia will be successful.”

He expressed hope that the Zambian government would give chance to Russian investors who have expressed interest in investing their money in the Zambian economy.

“One of the main challenges we face, including in Zambia, is to bring Russian investors. We succeeded in bringing three Russian multi-billion companies to invest in minerals and they applied last December to get prospecting licences in the mining sector,” Ambassador Azimov said. “Their interest is to have a licence for a big territory to construct cities for workers, energy for industry, rails, roads and factories. Each of the three companies has said they want to bring in a minimum of US $1 billion.”

He also said President Putin had set up a Russian Agency for Development and Assistance with start up capital of US $3 billion that would provide funds to Africa, Asia and Latin America.

“In the second half of 2008, the agency will start functioning,” Ambassador Azimov said. “From 2009 it will be able to operate at bilateral level and will donate money to Zambia to fight poverty, infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and malaria. The money will also go to support education, the medical field and energy sector.”

And Ambassador Azimov praised the legacy of President Putin as having restored Russia as one of the powers of the world boasting of a strong economy and defence system.

“The most important of his achievements is that he stopped the process of disintegration of Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union and during this period of eight years that he has been President, Russia has become very strong,” Ambassador Azimov said.
He said the economic state in which President Putin left Russia made it the seventh strongest economy in the world and had gold and hard currency to the value of US $600 billion.

“Despite the great economic achievements of President Putin, the problem that he was not able to solve was inflation,” said Ambassador Azimov. “It’s now approximately six per cent per year though the target was two to three per cent by 2008.”

He said the results of the presidential elections would have a positive influence in strengthening the political dialogue between Russia and Zambia.

Four candidates are vying for the presidency of Russia.
The candidates are Dmitry Medvedev of President Putin’s United Russia Party, Communist Gennady Zyuganov, the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia's Vladimir Zhirinovsky and Andrei Bogdanov.

If Medvedev Russia’s current first deputy prime minister wins the election, President Putin would resurface prominently in the country’s politics as his Prime Minister.

Preliminary election results are expected today but official results would only be released on March 7.

Labels: AMBASSADOR, ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT

posted by MrK @ 4:11 AM