Malawi President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera on Friday held bilateral talks with Angolan counterpart Joào Manuel Gonçalves who is also newly installed Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) chairperson.
Chief among the outcomes is the signing of a General Cooperation Agreement that will eventually transition into a Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation between the two nations.
The treaty mainly focuses on areas of energy and oil, mining, transportation, infrastructure development, agriculture, defence and security, trade and investment.
“I am delighted to inform you that Malawi has expressed interest in accessing the Lobito Corridor Transit Facilitation Agency Agreement and the Lobito – Lusaka Oil Pipeline Project and we have received firm assurances to the same,” said President Chakwera.
While posting on his facebook page Chakwera says, these facilities, initially agreed upon between Zambia and Angola, will among other things benefit Malawi in form of cheaper petroleum products via the Lusaka route into Mchinji fuel storage facility.
“Despite Malawi being a landlocked economy, we are advantageously positioned to utilize both trade routes, eastwards to the Indian Ocean and westwards to the Atlantic Ocean through two important harbors, Port of Lobito in Angola and Nacala Port in Mozambique.
“In respect of SADC, issues that have been discussed include the bolstering of peace and security in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Cabo Delgado Province in Mozambique and consolidation of democracy across the region as several member states conduct elections between now and the time we convene for the 44th session next year,” says the Malawi leader.
The two countries have further agreed to collaborate more with fellow member states in harnessing human and financial capital as drivers of industrialization and regional integration.
Chakwera left Malawi for Luanda in Angola on Wednesday where he attended to the 43 Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) summit.
After attending the SADC Summit Meeting, the President will proceed to Johannesburg, the Republic of South Africa, to attend the 15th Session of the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) Plus Outreach Summit from 22nd to 24th August, 2023.