INTERNATIONAL –The US government will continue to cultivate a strategic partnership with Zambia to ensure that strong results are delivered in cooperation, a US diplomat has said here.
Martin Dale, deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Zambia, said his government will continue to collaborate with the Zambian government to ensure sustainable development.
"We recognize the challenges that your economy is facing.
We commend the progress that you have made in implementing the Seventh National Development Plan which we are keen to continue supporting," he said at a bilateral meeting with Finance Minister Bwalya Ng'andu on Tuesday.
Dale also urged the Zambian government to speed up the identification of priority areas of external support under the current austerity model, and to strengthen the mobilization of domestic resources.
Dale said a key objective of the cooperation is to build a sustainable strategic partnership that allows assistance to be offered through collaboration in private sectors.
For his part, Ng'andu said he has the backing of the Zambian government to scale up the implementation of fiscal consolidation and austerity measures.
The Zambian minister added that his ministry will continue to pay special attention to dismantling domestic arrears in order to unlock activities in the private sector.