Congressman Pittenger Hails US-Zambia Friendship, Talks Hosting Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum in Lusaka in 2021

PRESS STATEMENT

- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -

Washington D.C., Friday, 18 September 2020 — Congressman Robert Pittenger has hailed the good friendship between the United States and Zambia, a bond he described as based on shared values and goals between the two countries.
 
Congressman Pittenger, who is Chairman, Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum, said this when he met Zambia’s Ambassador to the United States H.E. Lazarous Kapambwe at the Embassy of Zambia in Washington D.C. The two met to discuss the hosting of the Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum in Lusaka next year as well as the COVID-19 situation in Zambia.
 
“Thank you (Zambia) for being a good friend of the United States. We are happy about the common goals that our two countries share. We are interested to learn more about how you are dealing with COVID-19 and how Zambia is doing,” Congressman Pittenger said.
“Next year, we want to expand our work in Africa and partner with Zambia in dealing with matters of security. We want to collaborate with the Zambian parliament in addition to state departments so that we can strengthen capabilities in dealing with security concerns that have resulted in huge losses of money for many African countries.”
Congressman Pittenger said the US was ready to offer financial support in helping host the Forum and build capacity to deal with security related matters.
 
Congressman Pittenger said COVID-19 had caused so much distress across the world and was eager to be briefed of Zambia’s progress in dealing with the pandemic.
 
Ambassador Kapambwe hailed the United States support to Zambia in fighting COVID-19 and informed Congressman Pittenger that like almost all nations across the world, Zambia’s economy had been adversely affected by the ravages of the global pandemic.
Economies across the world had contracted and Zambia was no exception, Ambassador Kapambwe said adding that as a result of the ravages of COVID-19, the country would see significantly reduced growth in the fiscal year 2020.
 
“We’re grateful for the support the United States has given us – both in kind and financial,” Ambassador Kapambwe said, stressing that that support had helped government undertake critical interventions such as mass-testing, sensitization as well as strict adherence to health and safety protocols.
Ambassador Kapambwe told Congressman Pittenger that he would convey to the Speaker Dr Patrick Matibini the request for Zambia to consider hosting the Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum in Lusaka in 2021.
 
Congressman Robert Pittenger represented the Charlotte, North Carolina area for three terms, with a focus on national security, foreign investment reform, tax reform, and religious freedom.  He served as Chairman of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, and as Vice Chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Terrorism and Illicit Finance.
He received bipartisan recognition for his leadership on reforming the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the only government agency tasked with identifying potential foreign investments which threaten national security.  His Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act, which cracked down on malicious foreign investment targeting national security technology, was signed into law by President Trump in 2018.
 
He has organized and hosted more than one dozen Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forums, which have brought together over 700 Members of Parliament and other leaders from 70 countries in Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America to discuss counter-terror finance, cyber security, data sharing, cryptocurrencies, and predatory foreign investment.

Issued by:

Eric Mwanza
First Secretary – Press & Public Relations
Embassy of the Republic of Zambia
Washington D.C.

More information:
Phone: +1 202 674-6531
Email: ericmwanza@zambiaembassy.org
Twitter: @ZambiainUSA
Web: zambiaembassy.org