Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond has announced a £4.9 million (about K30.7 billion) package for aid projects in Malawi.
State House press officer Tusekele Mwanyongo said Salmond, a Member of Parliament (MP), was set to announce the package during the Dr David Livingstone Bicentenary Celebrations which President Joyce Banda was scheduled to attend on Sunday.
Salmond, according to the statement, confirmed that 15 projects in Malawi run by Scottish-based organisations have been allocated £4 920 106 funding over three years from the Scottish Government’s International Development Fund.
Banda arrived in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Sunday on an official tour of the United Kingdom where, among other engagements, she will take part in the Dr David Livingstone Bicentenary Celebrations.
Banda, on arrival in Scotland, is reported to have said: “I am delighted to be in Scotland to take part in the David Livingstone Bicentenary Celebrations.
“This is a momentous occasion for both Malawi and Scotland. My visit is aimed at taking the relationship between Malawi and Scotland to a higher level and signifies our very special relationship that has existed between Malawi and Scotland since Dr Livingstone visited our country.”
The Scottish government, according to the statement, has committed itself to working with the people of Malawi and continuing the partnership of skills.
Salmond and Banda also attended a memorial service being held at Blantyre Parish of the Church in Scotland.
