08 May 2018

President of Malawi, Professor Authur Mutharika has called on Malawi and Botswana to expedite the convening of the next meeting of the Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation (JPCC) to enhance bilateral cooperation and review progress made thus far.

President Mutharika remarked during bilateral talks he held with visiting President Mokgweetsi Masisi at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre on May 7 that such a meeting would help measure progress made by the two countries on the implementation of the 2013 meeting that took place in Gaborone.

He said further that the two SADC countries needed to meet to review areas of cooperation, taking into account recent developments.

Professor Mutharika was however encouraged by President Masisi’s visit to Malawi, which he said clearly indicated the commitment by the latter to taking diplomatic relations of the two Southern African states to greater heights, especially in political and socio-economic sector for the benefit of the citizens of both countries.

“Malawi and Botswana can share good practices in areas of Tourism Management, Mining, Diary Farming, Gender Equity, Public Sector Management as well as Good Governance, among others,” he said.

President Mutharika stated that Malawi and Botswana had always enjoyed cordial diplomatic relations since 1964 and that the two countries had benefitted in many ways from each other in different sectors of the economy.

He also congratulated President Masisi on his ascending to the high office of Presidency. ENDS