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The European Union (EU) has announced that its Ambassadors-designate to Zambia will embark on a three-day field mission to North-Western and Copperbelt Provinces from April 21 to 23, 2026.
During the visit, the Ambassadors will also launch the EU Enterprise Zambia 2.0 Micro-Grant Facility in Ndola, a €36 million EU-German programme supporting smallholder farmers in legume and horticulture value chains along the Lobito Corridor.
Vanessa Mweemba, Press and Information Officer for the EU Delegation to Zambia and COMESA, confirmed this in a statement issued in Lusaka on Tuesday, emphasising that the EU remained a reliable partner in Zambia’s journey toward sustainable economic transformation.
Mweemba said the visit underlined the strategic importance of the two provinces in the operationalisation of the Lobito Corridor, a transformative economic ecosystem aimed at enhancing Zambia’s regional and global connectivity, boosting exports, and accelerating value addition and economic growth.
“To prepare North-Western and Copperbelt Provinces for the opportunities presented by the Lobito Corridor, the EU is actively supporting projects in critical infrastructure, logistics, mining, water and energy, circular economy innovations, sustainable agriculture, forestry, and social sectors such as education and health,” she said.
She added that these initiatives aimed to maximise local benefits, create jobs, and promote inclusive development as Zambia positioned itself as a regional trade and investment hub.
The mission will be led by the EU Ambassador to Zambia and COMESA, Karolina Stasiak, and will include Ambassadors of EU Member States resident in Zambia: Jiří Kyrian, Ambassador of the Czech Republic; Saana Halinen, Ambassador of Finland; Johan Hallenborg, Ambassador of Sweden; Aidan Fitzpatrick, Ambassador of Ireland; Thomas Rossignol, Ambassador of France; and Alessandro Botta, Country Manager for the Italian Development Agency.
“Engagements will span government leaders, private sector stakeholders, civil society organisations, the business community, and direct beneficiaries of Team Europe programmes, reaffirming the EU’s 50-year commitment to Zambia’s prosperity and good governance,” Mweemba said.
She explained that the Micro-Grant Facility, offering grants between €10,000 and €50,000, will boost climate-resilient agriculture, improve farmers’ access to markets, and particularly empower women and young entrepreneurs.
Mweemba noted that the Lobito Corridor—a 1,300-kilometre rail and road network linking Zambia’s Copperbelt and North-Western Provinces to Angola’s Lobito Port—is expected to reduce transport costs, shorten transit times, and open new markets for Zambian exports.
“As Zambia’s economic engine, these provinces will serve as critical nodes for refined and transformed mineral exports to global markets, agricultural trade, and regional integration with the DRC, Angola, and beyond, driving green industrialisation through sustainable mining and logistics,” she said.
She added that the EU was investing in several projects to ensure the provinces were corridor-ready, including water and energy infrastructure, circular economy enterprises, agricultural value chains, early childhood education, skills development, and sustainable urban development.
Mweemba highlighted that Team Europe combined resources from the EU, its 27 Member States, and European financial institutions—such as the European Investment Bank (EIB), AFD, and KfW—to deliver greater impact in partner countries.
“The Lobito Corridor is a flagship project under the EU’s Global Gateway Initiative, a €300 billion strategy to boost sustainable infrastructure and digital connectivity worldwide,” she said.
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