By Hellen Bwalya

Kasama

Swedish Ambassador to Zambia Johan Hallenborg says Sweden has adopted a new development cooperation strategy where it will support Zambia with about 45milion United States dollars per year for a period of five years.

Mr Hallenborg says the development strategy will focus on climate change, environmental protection, corruption, productive health, democracy, civil society support and human rights.

He says Zambia and Sweden share a broad and strong relationship as the two countries collaborate in education, business and health among other sectors.

He says the relationship and collaboration that exists between Zambia and Sweden stretches beyond 1964.

“We have international training programmes for Zambians as well as collaboration between councils from both country’s ,” he said.

“Yesterday I had the pleasure of handing over diplomas to students who finished leadership programmes with the Swedish institute and we have exchange programmes between high schools,” he added.

“Next year, we will celebrate sixty years of diplomatic relations and this is exciting news for both Zambia and Sweden,” he said.

Ambassador Hallenborg said this when he paid a courtesy call on the Northern Province administration ahead of his two day visit to the province to check on the development initiatives funded by the Swedish government.

Meanwhile, Northern Province Permanent Secretary Bernard Mpundu thanked the Swedish government for supporting the girls in Northern Province through the Keeping Girls in School (KGS) programme.

Mr Mpundu said the KGS has helped in the retention of a girl child in school and those who dropped out of school are going back through this sponsorship.

Mr Mpundu said that there is an increasing demand from non-social cash transfer girl children to be enrolled on the programme.

And the PS said that the Swedish government has been supporting the office of the auditor general in Kasama through capacity building the officers to conduct independent, timely and cost-effective audits.

“Through this support, the office has conducted audits of the farmer input support programme under the Ministry of Agriculture, the audit of the social cash transfer and food security pack under the Ministry of Community development,” he added.

ZANIS