Malawi receives 9 new envoys

President Lazarus Chakwera yesterday received letters of credence from nine foreign envoys at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.

The emissaries, currently domiciled in other countries within southern and eastern Africa, brought with them diplomatic assurances of continued cooperation between their respective countries and Malawi.

Ghana High Commissioner Khadija Iddrissu highlighted how the two countries ought to engage each other on trade and economic value owing to their common political and economic history birthed by founders Kwame Nkrumah and Kamuzu Banda when they championed Africa’s independence movement in the 1950s.

“With that history in mind we are looking at strengthening the diplomatic ties through trade and investment, especially now when the continent is implementing the African Continental Free Trade Area,” she said.

The African Continental Free Trade Area is an African Union facility that aims at providing quick wins in developing the continent through shared trade by removing existing bottlenecks such as cross-border regulations and tax frameworks.

In his remarks to the media, Rwandan envoy Amadin Rugira said relations between the two countries are mainly hinged on unanimity on socio-economic development issues within the global community through the South-South cooperation.

According to the United Nations, South-South cooperation refers to the technical cooperation among developing countries in the Global South. It is a tool used by the States, international organisations, academics, civil society and the private sector to collaborate and share knowledge, skills and successful initiatives in specific areas such as agricultural development, human rights, urbanisation, health and climate change.

Sharing her sentiments after presenting credentials, Turkish envoy Istem Circirglu Spandet on the importance of the exploring new avenues to strengthen relations with Malawi mainly in technical support, academic exchange programmes through scholarships and trade.

Also presenting their letters of credence on the day were Hussain Ahmad Mohamed Ibrahim Al-Homaid from Qatar, Hanan Jarrar from Palestine and Saleh Sulaiman Al Harthi of Oman.

Others were Michael Lotem from Israel, Henry Sudrajat from Indonesia and Azevedo Xavier Francisco of Angola.