 He was the UNIP's representative in Northern Europe in the early 1960s, and in 1965 he was appointed as Zambia's Ambassador to Egypt (the United Arab Republic).While there, he became friends with UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi, and the decision to allow UNITA to open offices in Lusaka at that time has been attributed to Banda's influence.Banda became Ambassador to the United States on 7 April 1967.