EU legislators to visit Malawi today

Members of the European Union (EU) Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee are scheduled to visit Malawi from today to December 19 2023 to discuss geopolitical challenges before proceeding to Zambia.

According to a statement made available on the European Parliament website, the delegation of five parliamentarians led by the committee’s chairperson David McAllister is expected to meet Malawi Government officials and fellow parliamentarians to discuss several issues.

Among others, the delegation will engage government officials and parliamentary counterparts to discuss international and regional peace and security issues of mutual interest, as well as the reform agenda in Malawi.

The legislators are also expected to engage with representatives of international organisations, civil society, and representatives of EU member States.

Reads a press statement issued on Saturday: “With this visit, the Meps aim to deepen the respective long-standing partnerships with the two countries, including their parliamentary dimensions, in particular on matters in foreign affairs and multilateral issues.

“Topics set to feature on the agenda include Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the Israel-Palestine conflict, as well as EU-Africa relations, EU-African parliamentary cooperation, and EU support, including under the Global Gateway.”

Malawi Parliament spokesperson Ian Mwenye confirmed to The Nation on Sunday that the House had received communication about the visit.

“I can confirm that Parliament has received the communication. I will confirm the details later,” he said.

From December 20 to 21, the delegation will be in Lusaka, Zambia, to meet with government officials and parliamentary interlocutors to discuss geopolitical and regional issues, in the context of the Zambian chairmanship of the Southern African Development Community Organ on Politics, Security and Defence.

This will be the committee’s third visit to Africa during the current legislative term. The committee visited Sudan and Ethiopia in September 2022 and went to The Gambia and Senegal in April 2023.