Zambia’s Economic Diplomacy

Zambia’s Economic Diplomacy

Dr Njunga M Mulikita IRAZ Advisory Board Member
  • Foreign Policy sets out the strategic objectives of Country’s view of the Rest of the World.
  • Foreign Policy is crafted by the Political elite of the State(President, Prime Ministers, Foreign Ministers, top bureaucrats )
  • Diplomacy is the vehicle for pursuit of strategic Objectives enunciated in the Foreign Policy
  • Zambia’s Foreign Policy(2014) defines diplomacy ; ‘The art and practice of conducting international relations, the employment of tact to gain strategic advantage or to find mutually acceptable solutions to a common challenge as in negotiating alliances, treaties and agreements by States’
  • The same Policy document defines Economic Diplomacy as , ‘Conduct of International relations on a wide variety of matters of national and international economic interest’
  • Economic diplomacy may also be defined as the use of the full spectrum economic tools of a state to achieve its national interests.
  • Economic diplomacy employs economic resources, either as rewards or sanctions, in pursuit of a particular foreign policy objective. This is sometimes called “economic statecraft
  • Economic diplomacy requires diplomats to analyze the effects of a country’s (receiving state) economic situation on its political climate and on the sending state’s economic interests
  • The sending state and receiving state, foreign business leaders, as well as government decision-makers, work together on some of the most cutting-edge issues in foreign policy, such as technology, the environment, and HIV/AIDS, as well as in the more traditional areas of trade and finance
  • Versatility, flexibility, sound judgment and strong business skills are all needed in the execution of economic diplomacy.
  • A nation that wants to attract business must be proactive rather than passive
  • They must seek out opportunities and learn to bring them home.
  • Tax and other concessions will likely be necessary and in the short term costly.

Manmohan Singh; Economic Diplomat

  • Zambia’s missions; in Brasilia, Beijing, Ankara etc. are all tasked to be vehicles of Zambia’s economic diplomacy.
  • The Economic Ministries, working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and entities such as Zambia Development Agency(ZDA), Zambia Tourist Agency(ZTA) constitute the bureaucracy of economic diplomacy

Economic Diplomacy in Action President Hichilema at FOCAC Summit 2024

  • Zambia’s position as seat of COMESA and its membership of SADC ought to lead to re-positioning to maximize gains from dual membership of these two economic bodies
  • Zambia ratified the African Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement (a single market that includes COMESA, SADC, and East African Community [EAC], member states) in January 2021. Zambia also ratified the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) in February 2021..