President Edgar Lungu has praised the United States of America for providing over US$ 3 billion towards development assistance to Zambia since its Independence in 1964.
This came to light when President Lungu held a bilateral meeting with US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Africa under the State Department Matthew Harrington in New York last evening.
President Lungu said Zambia is grateful for the continued US government support to different sectors such as education, health, water and sanitation, energy infrastructure development and capacity building respectively.
He noted that the health sector has been major beneficiary of the resources from the US government particularly under the United States for International Development (USAID) and the United States President Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR).
President Lungu said Zambia is therefore determined to expand its bilateral relations with the United States of America for the benefit of people from the two countries.
He also commended the US government for successfully completing the US$35 million grant for the Lusaka water supply, sanitation and drainage project under the Millennium Challenge Account Zambia.
President Lungu said through this project government has managed to improve the lives of the local people as they were now able to access to clean supply and good sanitation within their locality.
The Head of State also expressed gratitude donor funds under the Millennium Challenge Account were put to good use.President Lungu assured the US government that his administration will ensure that remaining works on the Lusaka water supply, sanitation and drainage project were successfully completed.
He further thanked the US government for according him and his delegation to the United Nations General Assembly a warm reception since their arrival in New York.
And speaking earlier, US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Africa Matthew Harrington thanked President Lungu for allocating time at the UN General Assembly in New York to hold a bilateral meeting with the US State Department.
Meanwhile, President Lungu has expressed concern with negative reports about Zambia being spread through social media.The President said he is happy to meet officials from the US State Department so as to clarify on certain unverified media reports which were denting the image of country abroad.
President Lungu has since urged Zambians to be responsible in use of the social media and refrain from spreading misinformation about their country.
Read more from source Lusaka Times
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