Malawi High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Thomas Bisika has described Scotland First Minister John Swinney’s imminent visit as an opportunity for him to appreciate the impact of his country’s support to Lilongwe.
The envoy said this in an interview this morning.
Said Bisika: “The Scottish Government has been supporting Malawi in many areas covering both development and humanitarian support.
“This visit will, therefore, give the First Minister an opportunity to appreciate what Malawi has been able to achieve with Scottish Government support.”
Swinney is scheduled to visit Malawi and Zambia next week to mark the 20th anniversary of the Scottish Government’s international development and climate justice efforts.
A statement issued on the Scottish Government website indicates that during his visit, Swinney will announce new funding to support health initiatives and investment partnerships and tour existing programmes in education, gender equality and climate change adaptation.
Prior to his visit, Swinney expressed delight with the milestone, noting that it highlights the impact of two decades of partnership and emphasises the importance of international collaboration.
He said: “The 20-year anniversary of our overseas development programme is a landmark that we should be proud of.
“We have seen how working together with our partner countries to better understand their challenges can have transformative impact on communities.”
Swinney added that addressing global issues such as climate change, pandemics and inequality requires cooperation between the Global North and South.
“Current global challenges such as climate change, pandemics, conflict, poverty and inequality can only be addressed if the Global South and North work together,” the First Minister observed.
Swinney also highlighted Scotland’s contributions, including building hospital operating rooms, establishing research laboratories, promoting gender equality and supporting renewable energy.
On her part, Malawi Scotland Partnership chief executive officer Linda Dembo welcomed the visit, saying: “We are deeply honoured to welcome the First Minister of Scotland to Malawi for a visit that not only strengthens our enduring friendship, but also marks 20 years of transformative partnership through Scottish Government international development support.”
The trip marks the first visit by a Scottish First Minister to Malawi since the 2005 Cooperation Agreement between Scotland and Malawi and the first-ever visit to Zambia.
Swinney’s visit will take place from October 14 to 20 and Zambia will be his first stop.
The First Minister is the head of the Scottish Government and has ultimate responsibility for all policy and decisions.
