Malawi President, Lazarus Chakwera, is in Tanzania, the second neighboring country he has visited this week.
Chakwera on Tuesday was in Mozambiwue where he held talks with President Felipe Nyusi.
In Tanzania, Chakwera will hold talks with by President John Pombe Magufuli.
The two are, among other issues, expected to discuss the Lake Malawi wrangle between Tanzania and Malawi.
Speaking before departure at Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe, Chakwera said apart from strengthening bilateral ties between the two countries, his interface with Magufuli also projects high prospects for expanded areas of cooperation for the mutual benefit of people of the two countries.
According to Malawi Minister of Foreign Affairs Eisenhower Mkaka, Chakwera will also tour and appreciate the functions of the Malawi Cargo Centre (MCC) Limited which he said has remained idle for a long time.
The MCC Limited is a company that was established after Malawi and Tanzania Signed a treaty to grant Malawi access to the Sea. The agreement was signed in August, 1987. The MCC started operating in 1991.
The Minister said: “Among other core duties, the MCC handles liquid cargo such as fuel and if used effectively, Malawi would substantially reduce the cost of importing fuel which would translate into a reduction of fuel prices in Malawi.”
Mkaka promised that the current regime will ensure that the facility is utilised to its maximum capacity for the benefit of the country.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The MCC is comprised of the facilities in Dar es Salaam and the facilities in Mbeya, both of which belong to the Government of Malawi. The objective of the MCC is to receive and facilitate all the necessary processes at the post for all Malawi Cargo. This includes both liquid cargo, such as Fuel, and solid cargo, such as vehicles.
The MCC also handles cargo for other countries, including Zambia and Tanzania itself, although priority is given to Malawi Cargo.
Chakwera will be the second Malawi President to visit the facilities. The former President, Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda visited the MCC Facilities in Dar es Salaam in 1991 during his State Visit when the MCC started its operations.
The Malawi leader is expected back in Malawi on Wednesday. Last month, Chakwera also visited Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Just like your predecessors after Kamuzu, you ignore South Africa, yet you have plenty of Malawians residing in RSA. Please improve the relations with RSA.