Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale has commended the Norwegian Government’s contributions to Malawi’s development, particularly in advancing agricultural commercialisation.
Speaking in Lilongwe on Thursday evening when the embassy celebrated the Norway Constitution Day and 25 years of Norway-Malawi diplomatic relations, the minister highlighted Norway’s early support towards transitioning smallholder farmers from subsistence to commercial farming.
the function. | Jacob Nankhonya
He said Norway’s support aligns with Malawi’s long-term development goals contained in Malawi 2063 (MW2063) which seeks to transform the country into a wealthy and self-reliant industrialised uppermiddle-income economy by 2063.
“Norway was the first country we engaged to clearly understand the importance of migrating our smallholder farmers from subsistence farming to commercial farming,” said Kawale.
In her remarks, Norwegian Ambassador Ingrid Marie Mikelsen said Norway cherishes its diplomatic relations with Malawi, where her government support has focused on agriculture, health, education, and good governance.
The envoy described the focus areas as pillars of Malawian society and economy, adding that over the 25 years of diplomatic relations, Norway has seen milestones in the country’s sustainable development in various sectors including human rights.
“If you address the rights of all, you lift everyone up,” said Mikelsen.
The Norwegian embassy has also partnered with civil society groups such as the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) to promote human rights for marginalised and vulnerable communities.
In his remarks, CHRR executive director Michael Kaiyatsa acknowledged that Norwegian Embassy has been instrumental in the organisation’s work of promoting minority rights in the country.
