Malawi hails relations with Japan

Minister of Foreign Affairs Nancy Tembo has hailed the support Japan gives to Malawi, saying the two countries’ bilateral relations date back to 1964.​

Speaking at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe yesterday when new Japanese Ambassador Yoichi Oya presented his letters of credence to President Lazarus Chakwera, she said the envoy comes with vast knowledge, having worked at the Japanese Embassy in Malawi between 2008 and 2010.

Tembo said: “Most of the projects that have been done by the Japanese Government in Malawi are granted support. There is so much that we have benefited because of our bilateral relationship with Japan.”

She cited the construction of the Masauko Chipembere Highway dual carriageway in Blantyre, Nalikule Teacher Training College and expansion of power supply at Tedzani Hydro-electric Power Station as some of the projects.

Tembo said Japan will also support the construction of a dual carriageway from Lilongwe Community Centre to Crossroads Hotel in the capital city.

“We know that by his coming we are going to deepen the bilateral relations between the two governments, and I know that Malawi will benefit more from it,” she said, adding that plans are underway to revamp the One Village One Product (Ovop), a concept Malawi learnt from Japan.

Tembo said Malawi has always been an agricultural country, but most of it is subsistence and the country is moving towards commercialisation in line with the Malawi 2063.

In his remarks, Oya cited mutual support in various areas by the two governments.

He said: “We do not have any complex matters with Malawi. In this context, Japan will support Malawi in various fields and in the same way, we are expecting Malawi’s support in various fields as well.

“We will chair the United Nations Security Council this month, so in that context we are also expecting strong support from Malawi.”

Oya replaces Satoshi Iwakiri who completed his tour of duty in December 2022.

Japan opened a resident mission in Malawi in 2008 and Ambassador Oya was one of the first people to run that mission.