Egypt is keen on boosting relations with Africa and wants very much to restore its leading role in the continent, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab said Wednesday.

An African department has been formed at the Cabinet to promote this approach, Mahlab told the vice president of Zambia in a meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Africa conference, currently taking place in Indonesia.

Mahlab is attending the conference on behalf of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi.

The Zambian vice president said her country is looking forward to forming a joint committee with Egypt to activate bilateral cooperation in all fields.

Lusaka is greatly interested in enhancing ties with Cairo, she told Mahlab.

She asked Egypt to please dispatch a delegation of doctors to contribute to the health sector in Zambia.

She also stressed the need to boost cooperation at the level of businessmen from both countries.

Mahlab welcomed the ideas of forming a joint committee with Zambia and enhancing business cooperation between the two sides.

He also said his government will study sending Egyptian doctors to Zambia, noting that the authorities in Egypt will contact the Zambian health minister to arrange a visit to stand on needs of Zambian hospitals.