Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for African Countries Affairs Ahmed Abdul Aziz Kattan,is in Malawi where he will meet President Lazarus Chakwera as the two countries look to strengthen diplomatic relations.
The Saudi Arabia African Affairs Minister arrived on Thursday and was welcomed at the Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) by Dr. Michael Usi, Minister of Tourism and Dr. Luckie Sikwese, Secretary for Foreign Affairs.
In Malawi, Kattan will also meet Malawi’s minister of Fforeign Affairs Honourable Eisenhower Nduwa Mkaka,
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Malawi hopes the visit will strengthen the long-standing diplomatic relations that have existed between Malawi and Saudi Arabia since 1999 as well as deepen the socio-economic and political cooperation between the two countries.
“Saudi Arabia is crucial to Malawi’s food security as most of fertilizer imports originate from Saudi Arabia. Malawi also benefits from this diplomatic relationship in form of access to soft loans through the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD). The Teachers Training Colleges in Rumphi, Mchinji and Chikhwawa and the Thyolo Makwasa Road Project were also partly funded by the Saudi Fund for Development.
“On the other hand, Malawi has been supporting Saudi Arabia candidatures in international Organisations,” the ministry said in a statement.
