Business
Zambia to import oil from Angola – will reduce on imports from Middle East
(Reuters) – Zambia plans to start importing refined petroleum products from neighouring Angola to lower the cost of fuel, an industry official said on Wednesday.
Energy secretary George Zulu told Reuters oil-rich Angola was willing to supply Zambia with petroleum, which the land-locked southern African state had been importing from the Middle East.
Zambia’s new government apologized to Angola in October for backing the losing party in the country’s 27-year civil war as it tried to repair ties with its neighbour.
“A technical team led by the minister of energy will travel to Angola next week to discuss the details of importing finished petroleum products,” Zulu said.
“We have been looking at ways of bringing down the cost of fuel and so far it seems the answer lies in importing our fuel from neighbouring Angola,” he said.
The technical team traveling to Angola would also explore the possibility of jointly putting up a pipeline from Angola to Zambia, he said.
“We will start with lifting finished products and then move on to crude oil, which we plan to process in Zambia,” he said.
