EU courts Malawi Govt, private sector in G8 cooperation talks

The European Union (EU), Government and the private sector met on Tuesday in Lilongwe to deliberate on the formulation of Malawi’s G8 Cooperation Framework to support the country’s imminent membership of the G8 New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition.

The meeting was co-chaired by EU Ambassador to Malawi Alexander Baum and Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Peter Mwanza, and among other participants were Minister of Trade, Sosten Gwengwe, representatives from development partners, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) from the private sector, and government officials.

According to the co-chairpersons, the deliberations follow President Joyce Banda’s application to the African Union (AU) in February expressing her desire to participate in the G8 New Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition.

“Malawi’s participation in the G8 New Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition will be officially announced at the forthcoming London G8 Summit in June 2013,” explained Ambassador Baum, whose Union is coordinating the process.

EU Ambassador Baum: Malawi participation to be announce in June
EU Ambassador Baum: Malawi participation to be announce in June

Baum said ahead of the London June Summit, Malawi is supposed to come up with a cooperation Framework depicting key issues and stakeholders’ commitment including involvement of the private sector for high food production.

He said there would be similar round-table discussions with government and private sector CEOs in Blantyre on April 11, 2013 where views would be sought from participants on the formulation of the Cooperation Framework to support the G8 New Alliance.

“This is just the beginning of the process and we hope to have the Malawi Corporation Framework (MCF) implemented and endorsed by third week of May 20, 2013 so that Malawi presents it to the London Summit which is to take place from June 17 – June 18,” added Baum.

In his remarks, Agriculture Minister Peter Mwanza said the formulation of the Framework Corporation for the G8 New Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition would help bring together agriculture and trade policies for robust food production, which he said is the key objective for the G8 New Alliance.

Trade Minister, Sosten Gwengwe said Malawi’s participation in the G8 New Alliance under the Cooperation Framework which would be formulated would stimulate the private sector hence it would spur increased production of food products.

Six African countries among them Ghana, Ethiopia, and Tanzania succeeded in attaining membership of the G8 New Alliance while four countries namely Malawi, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire and Mozambique are yet to be granted membership, according to Mwanza.

The G8 New Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition was launched at the Camp David Summit in May 2012 following the L’ Aquila Summit of July 2009 where the G8 countries committed to “act with the scale and urgency needed to achieve sustainable global food security”.

Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :

Sharing is caring!

Follow us in Twitter
Read previous post:
Malawi Govt critic Kapito claims death threatened

Fierce critic of President Joyce Banda and a consumer rights advocate John Kapito says he is receiving death threats over...

Close