Scotland First Minister John Swinney will this week visit Zambia and Malawi to mark the 20th anniversary of the Scottish Government ’s i n ternat iona l development and climate justice efforts.
A statement i ssued on the Scottish Government website indicates that during his visit, Swinney will announce new funding to support health initiatives and investment partnerships as well as tour existing programmes in education, gender equality and climate change adaptation.
Pr ior to his v isit , Swinney ex p res sed del ight w i t h t h e milestone, noting that it highlights the impact of two decades of par tnership and empha s i ses 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 bet ter under s t an d t h e i r 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 al so highl ighted 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 i n ternat i o n a l d evelopment 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.
