Vice-President Everton Herbert Chimulirenji on Friday met Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Japan where he asked him to support construction of Mtayamoyo Bridge in Nsanje and a dual carriageway in Lilongwe.
The Veep, who represented President Arthur Peter Mutharika at the 2019 Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) in Yokohama, Japan, met Abe Friday at Intercontinental Yokohama Grand on the sidelines of the Conference.
Chimulirenji said Abe had shown interest in supporting projects that the Veep had presented to the Japanese Prime Minister.
“During the meeting, I asked him to consider supporting us in the construction of Mtayamoyo Bridge in Nsanje, and a dual carriageway in Lilongwe from Mchinji Roundabout to Lilongwe Police C Company.
“I also asked for the Japanese Government’s support to families that were affected by floods and natural disasters in Malawi and for continued support in other areas such as education, agriculture and health,” he said.
Chimulirenji said he was pleased and grateful that Prime Minister Abe had committed his government’s support towards the said areas.
During the meeting, Abe expressed hope for the strengthened relationship between the two counties and peaceful solution of the current political situation in Malawi.
According the Japenese Embassy in Malawi, Abe conveyed his condolences over the devastation from Cyclone Idai and mentioned Japan’s extending assistance for Malawi’s early recovery.
He also announced Japan’s intention to cooperate in alleviating traffic congestion and facilitating logistics as well as human resources development in Malawi, which is located along the Nacala Corridor and faces increasing traffic.
The two sides also exchanged views on cooperation in international area and the North Korea situation.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Francis Kasaila, who was among the cabinet ministers in the Malawi delegation to the conference, said the country had benefitted a lot from the just ended #TICAD7.
He said the Malawi delegation had an opportunity to hold side meetings with a number of organisations either to seal deals or to lobby for funding of various projects.
“What is more interesting is that now the focus of the partners we have interacted with is no longer just about aid but trade and investments, which is also the direction that we are taking as a country,” Kasaila explained.
“We want to call upon our business sector to take interest in partnering with business captains in Japan who are looking for investment in Malawi,” he said.
The 2019 TICAD7 opened on August 28 under the theme “Advancing Africa’s Development through People, Technology and Innovation” and ended Friday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the Veep and Madame Judith Chimulirenji are expected to arrive back in the country through Kamuzu International Airport on Sunday.
