Zambia's president called for more bilateral cooperation with Türkiye Tuesday and expressed his gratitude for its continued support to Zambia in the areas of health, infrastructure, technology and tourism.
The two countries have a nearly six-decade bilateral bond, Hakainde Hichilema said as he received Türkiye's Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Yıldız in the capital Lusaka.
"We must leverage on public-private partnerships for the two countries to achieve more in the areas of trade and investment," Hichilema noted.
"There is a need for more bilateral cooperation between our two nations and we wish to thank Türkiye for the continued Turkish support to Zambia in the areas of health, infrastructure, technology and tourism," he said.
"And in our bid to make Zambia a more land-linked country, we urge you to also call for an increase in the frequency of Turkish Airlines (flights) to Zambia to boost trade and investment opportunities and jobs for our people."
Yıldız was accompanied by Turkish Ambassador to Zambia Istem Cırcıroğlu.
He reiterated Türkiye's strong-held foreign policy of trade and investment besides promoting global peace, security and stability, adding that the southern African nation was an all-weather bilateral partner in the quest.
The meeting between Hichilema and Yıldız came on the back of a successful third political consultation meeting between Zambia and Türkiye at which both countries committed to deepening bilateral ties for continued peace, security and economic transformation.
Later on Tuesday, Hichilema also hosted a Turkish business delegation led by Summa Group of Companies President Selim Bora Summa.
In what has been dubbed by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as Türkiye’s "Africa initiative," Ankara has reached out to dozens of countries across the continent in the past two decades to cultivate diplomatic, social and economic engagement based on a win-win relationship, equal partnership and mutual respect.
The initiative expanded systemically, first through embassies, which now operate in a total of 46 African nations, and later with cultural activities and increasing economic cooperation and investments, services provided by Turkish entities, including Turkish Airlines and Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).
Since 2003, the volume of the country's trade with the continent has increased from $2 billion to at least $25 billion. Erdoğan has visited Africa nearly 40 times since 2005 as prime minister and president.
Turkish projects undertaken across the 54-nation-strong Africa so far have served to the anti-colonial sentiment, according to experts.
Erdoğan often criticizes the ongoing injustices in the continent and brutal policies carried out during the colonial period by Western powers like France and Britain.