CONFERENCE AT WHICH AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CONGO MR. BOMBOKO AND MR. NANDAKE, OF TANZANIA MR. LUSINDE AND OF ZAMBIA, MR. BANDA. VISIT TO MATADE PORT AND COPPER INSTALLATIONS BY MR. LUSINDE AND MR. BANDA.




Initials MM/VS/MR/JG



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Background: AN AGREEMENT PROVIDING FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF 40,000 TONS OF ZAMBIAN COPPER WAS SIGNED BY ZAMBIA, TANZANIA AND CONGO KINSHASA (FORMERLY LEOPOLDVILLE) IN KINSHASA ON FRIDAY.

THE AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED AFTER A FOUR-DAY MEETING BETWEEN REPRESENTATIVES OF THE THREE COUNTRIES AND TRANSPORT OFFICIALS. THE TALKS WERE AIMED AT WORKING OUT DETAILS OF AN EARLIER GENERAL AGREEMENT TO HELP ZAMBIA FIND NEW OUTLETS TO THE SEA FOLLOWING THE BLOCKING OF OLD TRADE ROUTES THROUGH SOUTHERN RHODESIA.

THE COPPER, EVENTUALLY DESTINED FOR EXPORT, IS CURRENTLY RUNNING AT 10,000 TONS MONTHLY AND, UNDER THE NEW AGREEMENT, WILL BE INCREASED AS MORE TRANSPORT IS AVAILABLE. THE NEW TRANSPORTATION LINKS WOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE ABOUT 65 PER CENT OF ZAMBIA'S MONTHLY COPPER PRODUCTION.

ZAMBIAN TRANSPORT MINISTER MR. H.D. BANDA, TANZANIAN COMMUNICATIONS MINISTER MR. JOB LUSINDE AND CONGOLESE FOREIGN MINISTER MR. JUSTIN BOMBOKO AND TRANSPORT MINISTER MR. VICTOR NANDAKE SIGNED THE AGREEMENT, WHICH ALSO SETS UP A PERMANENT COMMISSION TO CONTROL THE OPERATION.

ZAMBIAN OFFICIALS SAID THERE WOULD BE NO PROBLEM IN PROVIDING THE WAGONS TO MAKE THE SYSTEM WORK, BUT TRANSPORT OFFICIALS CLAIM A MAJOR PROBLEM WILL BE A BOTTLENECK ON THE CONGOLESE RAILWAY IN KATANGA.

MR. BOMBOKO SAID ZAMBIAN NEEDS WERE URGENT ASSISTANCE TO PREVENT JAMMING OF STOCK-PILED COPPER, AND A LONG-TERM PROGRAMME TO HANDLE FUTURE PRODUCTION. HE SAID THE AGREEMENT WAS THE BEGINNING OF GREATER CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE COUNTRIES.

MR. BANDA AND MR. LUSINDE VISITED THE PORT OF MATADI, WHICH, WILL BE AN IMPORTANT LINK IN ZAMBIA'S NEW COPPER-LINE. THEY INSPECTED THE PORT INSTALLATIONS AND WATCHED THE HANDLING OF WHEAT HAND WOOD AS WELL AS THE VITAL COPPER. AS WELL AS HANDLING COPPER EXPORTS THE NEW TRADE ROUTE WILL BE AN IMPORTANT DOORWAY FOR IMPORTS TO ZAMBIA.