Malawi, Kenya sign 8 bilateral agreements

 Malawi and Kenya have signed eight bilateral agreements that seek to strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

In his speech made available to The Nation after the signing ceremony yesterday, President Lazarus Chakwera, who was in Kenya for a three-day visit, said the bilateral agreements signal an impending great working relationship between the two countries.

He said: “It is no small thing that we have successfully agreed to and signed eight instruments of cooperation in defence, diplomacy, health, cooperatives, tourism, agriculture and other areas for the mutual benefit and development of our two nations and our peoples.

“And now that there is a ratified African Continental Free Trade Area [AfCFTA] that we are set to fully leverage to ensure that the future we are working towards is one of shared prosperity, I believe that these agreements are a sign that the best days of our kinship are yet to come.”

Chakwera said he is also looking forward to finalising other bilateral agreements with Kenya, including continued exchanges between Malawians and Kenyans.

The President stressed that despite a joint permanent commission of cooperation between Malawi and Kenya not meeting for several years, the speed at which the bilateral talks have been revived is testimony of a good relationship between the two countries.

Chakwera, therefore, said he looks forward to a fruitful working relationship between the countries and further hailed Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta for his country’s peacekeeping efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

In addition, Chakwera also said that he looks forward to seeing Mozambicans return to peace and security with the support of both Malawi and Kenya.

In his address monitored on Kenya’s Citizen Television, Kenyatta asked his government officials to expedite remaining bilateral agreements with Malawi.

He said: “These are largely in the areas of forest management, information communication technology, police services, promotion and protection agreements, lands, physical planning and urban development, customs, gender equality and women empowerment and youth development.”

Kenyatta further affirmed his government’s commitment in strengthening ties with the Malawi government.

Meanwhile, Chakwera has left Kenya for Dubai in the United Arab Emirates where he is expected to attend the fifth Global Technology and Innovation Community. From Dubai, the President will proceed to Glasgow, Scotland for the 26th session of the Conference of Parties (CoP26).