Zambia’s Ambassador to the United States of America says the revised US$1.5 billion health sector agreement between Zambia and the US Government, is a demonstration of true cultural diplomacy in action.
Dr. Chibamba Kanyama said the country is actively shifting its long-standing 60-year relationship with the US away from traditional aid and dependency toward a pragmatically driven, commercial investment partnership.
Speaking at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy Forum on the Transatlantic Relationship in Washington-DC, Dr. Kanyama stated that the core Pillar of Cultural Diplomacy thrives when partners take time to understand each other’s cultural and sovereign values.
He said true diplomacy requires listening first and treating negotiations as an alignment of shared interests, not a zero-sum game.
“The Government of Zambia through the Minister of Health has successfully announced the US$1.5 Billion revised agreement between Zambia and the US Government, showing true cultural diplomacy in action,” Dr. Kanyama said.
Dr. Kanyama noted that Zambian citizens raised valid, deeply felt concerns regarding the duration of the agreement, data protection, intellectual property, and conditions relating to biological specimen sharing.
“In a true partnership, we cannot simply brush aside these public anxieties. They represent our cultural values, our sovereignty, and our right to protect our people’s data and resources,” he stated.
He stressed that through equal, respectful negotiations, the requirement to share biological specimens has been completely removed. “Data sharing is now restricted strictly to program monitoring and evaluation,” Dr. Kanyama added.
He said this victory proves that Zambia can protect its national assets and citizen privacy while successfully preserving a vital US$1.5 billion healthcare partnership.
“The New Win-Win Investment Blueprint is a healthy diplomatic framework which extends straight into commercial sectors, as seen with the US-backed Lobito Corridor and KoBold Metals’ historic Mingomba mining project,” he said.
“KoBold Metals Africa is led by a Zambian CEO, Mfikeyi Makayi. This shows that American capital can successfully build local value chains, transfer technology, and respect local human resources,” Ambassador Kanyama noted.
Dr. Kanyama said Zambia welcomes an investment-led future built on mutual transparency and sovereign respect.
“When our nations listen to each other’s domestic contexts, we forge far stronger and more resilient global bonds,” he stressed.
This is according to a statement issued by First Secretary Press and Public Relations, Embassy of Zambia Washington-DC, Charles Tembo.
