Lusaka - The Assistant Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for Arab States for Political Affairs and Negotiations Dr. Abdulaziz Hamad Al-Owaisheq, met in Lusaka today (Thursday) with Zambian Minister of State for Trade and Industry Kayula Siame to discuss the ways of enhancing cooperation between the two sides in the implementation of the agreement with the Lusaka-based Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) organization.

The GCC Assistant Secretary-General stressed that strengthening of relations with COMESA and its members is one of the starting points of the Gulf Action Plan to strengthen relations with the African continent in political, economic and cultural fields in accordance with the previously signed agreement with the Organization for this purpose along with their potential benefits for GCC, their citizens and the business sector through access to foreign markets and to enhance food security and investment.

During the meeting held in Lusaka on the sidelines of the 20th COMESA Summit, the investment opportunities in the Republic of Zambia and their means of enhancing the GCC private sector's relations with its counterparts in Zambia and the other member countries of COMESA were discussed.

The Minister of State invited GCC investors to invest in the Republic of Zambia, and propose holding an investment conference in Zambia in 2018 in which representatives of the business sector of the two sides, government agencies, the GCC and COMESA will participate, stressing that Zambia is one of the fastest growing countries in the Organization in addition to providing investment opportunities in agriculture, minerals, tourism and infrastructure development.