Dignitaries, including Mohamadou Labarang, Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of Cameroon to Egypt, and Ambassador Mohamed Karim Sherif, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for African Affairs, representing the Egyptian government, attended the meeting.
In his speech, Ambassador Topply Mulambo Lubaya, Zambia's Ambassador to Egypt, reflected on the country's journey since independence in 1964, emphasising the importance of peace and stability in achieving social and economic progress.
The celebration coincided with a recent state visit by Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema to Egypt, which further strengthened ties between the two nations. Several agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed during the visit to enhance cooperation in key sectors.
Egyptian Assistant Minister for African affairs, Karim Sherif, highlighted the historical ties between the two nations, which date back to the era of late Presidents Gamal Abdel Nasser and Kenneth Kaunda.
Sherif emphasised that Egypt takes pride in its relations with Zambia, citing the naming of three main streets in the Zambian capital Lusaka after Egypt -- "Suez Street", "Nasser Street", and "Cairo Street" -- as a testament to the strong bond between the two nations.
He added that the two countries have committed to deepening trade and investment cooperation in key sectors, including infrastructure, energy, renewable energy, agriculture, and health.
Egypt, he stated, is willing to carry out joint projects to support Zambia in facing drought and electricity outage challenges.
Moreover, Sherif pointed to Egypt's launch of new mechanisms to guarantee exports and investments in Africa, encouraging small and medium-sized Egyptian companies to invest in Zambia.
He cited coordination between the Arab Contractors Company and the Zambian Ministry of Infrastructure on projects such as the Watabu and Zambezi bridges and developing the strategic Lobito road that connects Zambia to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola.
According to Sherif, trade between the two nations reached $15.6 million in the first half of 2024, while Zambia's exports of raw copper to Egypt totalled $165 million in 2023.
On the other hand, he noted that the Egyptian-Zambian Business Forum, held on the sidelines of President Hichilema's recent visit, reflects the two countries' commitment to deepening trade and investment cooperation.
"Egypt and Zambia share a unified vision for the future of the African continent, based on partnership, solidarity, and joint progress," Sherif concluded.
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