President Hichilema meets with King Charles III on visit in UK

President Hichilema visited Buckingham Palace on 19 June to engage in bilateral talks with King Charles III. The aim of the meeting was to reiterate and reaffirm the strong relations between the two nations.

Hichilema’s visit to the UK is a demonstration of the government’s focus on economic diplomatic relations, seeking to open up new avenues of foreign investment into Zambia, expanding trading and business opportunities and economic partnerships.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Corporation, Mulambo Haimbe addressed any concerns about the visit to the UK coinciding with the inauguration of Cyril Ramaphosa as the South African president and the possible impact on the Southern African Development Community (SADC). In a statement given on Wednesday, the minister emphasised Zambia’s strong relations within the SADC and pointed to the President’s meetings in the UK as focusing on areas of mutual benefit for both Zambia and South Africa.

Following the meeting with the King, President Hichilema said, “We thanked His Majesty and the British people for the unwavering support they have given the people of Zambia.” In a post on X/Twitter, Hichilema repeated “the need for deepening relations between our two countries as Zambia commemorates the 60th Independence Anniversary.”