Mutharika hails Malawi-India relations
President Peter Mutharika has hailed the bilateral relations between Malawi and India, saying Malawi has benefitted a lot from the arrangement.
Mutharika said this at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre after meeting India’s Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise Gouodara Mallikarjunappa Siddeshwara.
In a statement issued by the State House Press Office, the President: “In 2008, for the first time, we got a generous line of credit from the government of India to the tune of $163 million, which assisted us in areas of agriculture, petroleum storage tanks, sugar processing plant and capacity building. In 2010, we also got a credit of $5 million, which assisted us in areas of science and technology and the health sector we are very much appreciative of that.”
And in an interview after the closed-door audience, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation George Chaponda said Malawi is expecting a number of investors who will visit the country soon.
On his part, Siddeshwara said he was happy that the President accepted his invitation to attend the India-Africa Summit in October as one way of strengthening the bilateral relations.
Malawi’s relations with India date back to 1964 when the country attained independence from Britain. India got its independence, also from Britain, in 1947.
