MFA Bourita: Morocco-Malawi Ties Evolved Considerably in Recent Years

At a press briefing following his talks with Malawian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms Nancy Tembo, MFA Bourita recalled that since Malawi withdrew its recognition of the so-called "republic" in 2017, and particularly over the past three years, several measures have been taken to bolster bilateral relations.

Among these measures, he noted, are holding the Morocco-Malawi Joint Cooperation Commission in Laâyoune, signing numerous bilateral agreements, inaugurating the Malawian embassy in Rabat, which welcomed its first ambassador to Morocco, as well as inaugurating Morocco's embassy in Lilongwe over a year ago.

In this context, MFA Bourita pointed out the inking of the bilateral cooperation roadmap for the 2022-2024 period, focusing on key sectors including education and training, technical cooperation, security, economic promotion and investment, noting that this document includes a series of steps that are currently being put into practice, such as last month's Malawi Economic Promotion Week, which provided an opportunity to promote the economic opportunities offered by this country.

The minister pointed out that the foundations for cooperation between the two countries have been established, and must now be strengthened in three priority areas, including food security through the fertilizer sector, given that discussions are underway for signing a major cooperation agreement in this field.

Another priority is training, with the award of 100 scholarships to Malawian students in Morocco, particularly in the fields of academic and vocational training, as well as technical cooperation through exchanges of visits between officials from the two countries, the minister added.

Relations between Morocco and Malawi are based on solidarity, stressed MFA Bourita, assuring that "Morocco has always stood by Malawi in the face of the natural disasters it has endured in recent years".

For its part, Malawi has "always been an ally of Morocco in its national causes, particularly in international and regional fora, at the Human Rights Council and at the UN, given its consistent and permanent positions regarding Moroccan Sahara", the minister noted.

Nancy Tembo's visit is a key step in implementing the shared vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI and His Excellency President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, with a view to creating a model of cooperation between the two countries, MFA Bourita concluded, expressing his determination to visit Lilongwe next April to reaffirm the solidity of the relations between the two countries.