Addis Ababa — WORLD Bank president, Robert Zoellick, says he will visit Zambia to assess the flood situation to establish what kind of assistance the countryneeds to mitigate the impact.

Mr Zoellick said his plans followed President Mwanawasa's request for assistance towards mitigating the devastating effects of the floods.

The World Bank head who also attended the official opening of the 10th Africa Union (AU) heads of state and government summit yesterday, said this when he briefed journalists about the meeting with Dr Mwanawasa.

Mr Zoellick who was flanked by the World Bank vice-president for Africa, Obiageli Ezekwesili, said he wouldtravel to Zambia to assess the flood situation.

The World Bankchief said he looked to Zambia as a good partner and pledgedto helpmobilise support in form of concessional loans to be given free towards the country's economic development.

"Zambia has been disciplined in its fiscal management and its debt record has been good," Mr Zoellick said, and underscored the need to support its economic reforms.

Dr Mwanawasa briefed Mr Zoellick and his team about Zambia 's current economic status as well as the flood situation as Mr Zoellick said he would take an aerial-fact finding mission over the flooded areas in Zambia to access the situation.

Commerce, Trade and Industries Minister, Felix Mutati, flanked President Mwanawas at the talks.

Briefing Zambian journalists here Mr Mutati said the meeting between the two presidents mainly focused on the economy and the current flood disasters in Zambia.

During the closed-door meeting, Dr Mwanawasa requested the bank for the mid to long-term assistance for the Government to reconstruct the collapsed facilities like roads and bridge.

Assuring Mr Zoellick of the availability of food for victims, Dr Mwanawasa said the Government needed to repair the facilities and things like the drainage system saying that would be a more sustainable solution to the current floods.

Dr Mwanawasa further talked about the education sector and the need to ensure that more children accessed basic education. Issues of health also featured prominently.

On the economic front, Dr Mwanawasa told the World Bank chief that Zambia took agriculture as the engine of the national economy but it was still committed to the mining sector.