New Delhi: Zambia has assured India of its support for a permanent seat in an enlarged UN Security Council and condemned terrorism in all its forms.

This was conveyed by Zambian President Levy P Mwanawasa on February 13 to Lok Sabha Speaker Manohar Joshi, who is leading a Parliamentary delegation to Lusaka.

Mwanawasa said the two countries shared a common stand on various issues and Zambia had signed the OAU Convention against terrorism. He said though Zambia was not a target, it could become a victim of terrorism in future.

Joshi briefed the President about Pak sponsored cross-border terrorism, an official release in New Delhi said.

India has decided to donate 10,000 tonnes of non-Basmati rice to Zambia, which would start being delivered soon, Joshi said. Mwanawasa said his country was keen to learn from India's experience in boosting food production.

He also told Joshi that Zambia, which was suffering from a high level of HIV/AIDS cases was trying to mobilise its resources to fight the pandemic, but given the constraints it hoped to get assistance from the international community.

Looking forward to visiting India, Mwanawasa expressed the hope that interaction between of the two countries would increase in the Commonwealth Parliament Association, Inter-Parliamentary Union and through bilateral visits.

The delegation included three MPs - K P Singh Deo, Dinesh Trivedi and Kirti Azad - besides Indian High Commissioner Yogesh Gupta and senior officials of Lok Sabha Secretariat.

PTI