Veep expected in Tanzania

—Republican Vice President, Guy Scott, is expected to arrive in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, tomorrow Friday, to attend the 2013 version of the Smart Partnership International Dialogue.

 

The Smart Partnership Dialogue is an initiative of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) established in 1995 and brings together governments and business organizations to discuss global socio-economic development.

 

Zambia’s High Commissioner to Tanzania, Judith Kapijimpanga, confirmed to ZANIS in an interview in Dar-es-Salaam today that the Vice President will lead the Zambian delegation at the Dialogue which will be officially opened tomorrow at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Center by President Jakaya Kikwete.

 

Mrs Kapijimpanga said Dr Scott will be accompanied by his wife, Charlotte, and other senior government officials, who will join 800 local and international participants at the 2013 Global Partnership Dialogue being held under the theme "Leveraging Technology for Africa’s Socio-economic Transformation”.

 

The High Commissioner also confirmed that American President, Barack Obama, who is scheduled to visit Tanzania next week, will participate in the Smart Partnership Dialogue along with other 22 Heads of States and Government as well as former Presidents that have been invited to attend the meeting.

 

Zambia hosted the 2008 version of the Smart Partnership Dialogue at the Mulungushi International Conference Center in the capital, Lusaka, from July 28 to 31, which focused on key issues that transformed the Partnership into a more practical approach of solving some socio-economic problems that its mostly Commonwealth member countries from Africa, the Caribbean, South-East Asia and Asia were faced with.

 

The Smart Partnership Dialogue is a brain child of the Commonwealth Partnership for Technology Management (CPTM), a government-business partnership established in 1995 by the CHOGM.

 

Meanwhile, Republican Vice President, Guy Scott, will chair a round table dialogue on financial inclusion and technology which will be attended by Central Bank Governors from around the world discussing how technology can be leveraged in transforming the sector for effective socio-economic development.

 

Smart Partnership Chief Executive Officer and Joint Dialogue Convener, Mihaela Smith, confirmed to ZANIS in an interview here that Dr Scott will lead the discussion of the central bank governors on Saturday, June 29.

 

Dr Smith explained that the 2013 Dialogue was a very special one as the movement had matured in terms of membership which is now drawn from all parts of the world with 400 first timers attending the meeting this year.

 

In a related development, Zambia’s High Commissioner to Tanzania, Judith Kapijimpanga, has also disclosed that First Lady, Christine Kaseba, is expected to arrive here on Monday July 1, 2013, to attend an African First Ladies meeting.

 

Mrs Kapijimpanga said Dr Kaseba, who is a United Nations Ambassador for the World Health Organisation-WHO, will take a leading role in discussions on disease burden affecting women in Africa with particular attention on cancer under the theme "Investing in Women, Strengthening Africa”.

 

The Zambian First Lady will participate in the high level meetings with her fellow African First Ladies who will be joined by Mitchell Obama, wife of American President Barack Obama, and the former US First lady, Laura Bush, who is also travelling with her husband on a visit to Tanzania.

 

High Commissioner Kapijimpanga commended Dr Kaseba for the strides she has made in the fight against cancer in women by spearheading early detection.