Luanda — Angolan head of State João Lourenço reiterated Wednesday the need to build a railway branch to link between Angola and Zambia, with the project to be launched from Luacano, in Angola's eastern Moxico province.

Speaking at a joint press conference, as part of the visit to Angola by his

Zambian counterpart, Hakainde Hichilema, João Lourenço stated that the connection would be made via the Benguela railway.

Still, as for the infrastructure, the president João Lourenço considered crucial for the Southern and Central African countries to increase investments in this aspect.

"In order to ensure the regional integration among the States, there is the need for facilities in terms of road, rail, air, river connections and the expansion of electricity among the countries", he expressed.

According to the Angolan President, the governments of Angola and Zambia are working on it. In the field of agriculture and livestock, he said that Angola has the experience of Zambia to restock the country with cattle and increase self-sufficiency in meat production.

Zambia wants to boost its economy.

In his turn, the Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema reiterated his government's availability to boost the economic and social programme with Angola.

As for the peace and security in the region, Hakainde Hichilema recognised the efforts made by his Angolan counterpart in the search for solutions to ensure the stability in the Great Lakes, in particular in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

He considered the peace in the region crucial for investments and trade.

Angola and Zambia relations are based on General Agreement on Economic, Scientific, Technical and Cultural Cooperation signed in 1979.