LUSAKA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Zambia and Namibia are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding for the construction of a gas and oil pipeline, a senior government official said on Thursday.

       Peter Kapala, the Minister of Energy, said the pipeline will be constructed from Windhoek, the Namibian capital, to Lusaka, the Zambian capital, state-run news agency Zambia News and Information Service quoted him as saying.

       The minister said the agreement will be signed next month and that the gas will be used for power generation while the oil pipeline will help reduce the cost of petroleum products in the southern African nation.

       The project, he said, which was expected to take three to four years to complete, will have its main gas and oil power station in Lusaka.

       The minister said recently that the government intends to embark on regional diplomatic engagements and diversified partnerships in the energy sector as part of efforts to tackle challenges in the energy and petrol sectors.

       Last month, Zambia signed an agreement with Angola to have a stake in that country's Lobito Oil Refinery Project which will have a capacity of 200,000 barrels per day.