Malawi and Mozambique have set 2015 as the deadline to conclude the border reaffirmation exercise between the two countries.
The agreement is contained in a joint communiqué read on Saturday at a news conference at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe before Mozambican President Armando Guebuza left the country after a three-day State visit.
Reading the communiqué, Principal Secretary for Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development Patrick Kabambe said both countries are concerned about the slow progress on the exercise.
“Concerned with the slow progress made in the exercise of reaffirmation of boundary between Malawi and Mozambique, the two heads of State urged the relevant authorities on both sides to expedite the reaffirmation process.
“The two governments committed to provide the necessary resources to speed up the process for timely completion of the exercise by 2015.
“It was recommended that the exercise be carried out during the dry season between the months of May and December every year until 2015 and that resources are accordingly provided for,” said Kabambe.
In Malawi, the exercise is being led by Ministry of Lands and Housing which got an allocation of K36 million and K23 million for the exercise in the 2011/12 and 2012/13 fiscal years, respectively.
The communiqué also adds that the two governments have agreed to jointly address issues of security along their borders and that police, customs and immigration officials should strengthen interaction and coordination in tackling border-related incidents.
It adds that the two leaders have also underscored the need for Malawi and Mozambique to have stronger trade ties and invest in each other’s country to promote livelihoods of their countries’ citizens.
Among other agreements, Malawi and Mozambique on Wednesday signed the power interconnection deal which will see construction of 1 000 kilometre long electricity power systems and transmission lines from Tete in Mozambique to Phombeya in Balaka and later to Nacala in Mozambique.
