President Lazarus Chakwera yesterday held talks with United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who commended Malawi’s clear calls for the withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine.
According to a statement by spokesman for the United States Department of State Ned Price, the two talked about the war between Russia and Ukraine which Malawi earlier this month described as “disturbing” and “needless”.
“On Ukraine, Secretary Blinken commended Malawi’s unambiguous calls for the withdrawal of Russian forces, acknowledging the economic impact of Russia’s invasion on Malawi and other countries in the region,” Price said in the statement.
Posting on his Facebook page this morning, Chakwera said he and Blinken found common ground in their shared commitment in calling for peace in Ukraine and cessation of all forms of aggression.
Chakwera also said that he reiterated Malawi’s commitment to entrench justice and human rights by fully eradicating detrimental social vices such as human trafficking and child labour.
“I underlined how influential our diplomatic relations with the United States, since the 1960s, have brought significant value to all key sectors of human undertaking including Health, Agriculture, Education, Social Services and Democracy,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
The Malawi leader added that the US Secretary of State spoke highly of Malawi’s democratic infrastructure. According to Chakwera, Blinken described Malawi as a remarkable democratic success story owing to the political and governance events of the past three years.
“He also reaffirmed the US position in supporting the reforms we have embarked on to reorient our administrative and governance systems so that they respond to the needs of Malawians,” said Chakwera.
According to Price, Blinken during the meeting conveyed appreciation for Malawi’s strong democratic foundation and applauded President Chakwera for his ongoing efforts to combat corruption.
“The Secretary and President Chakwera also discussed plans to expand U.S. cooperation with the 16-member Southern African Development Community and to deepen U.S.-Malawi cooperation at the United Nations,” said Price.
