Chakwera and Kenyatta sign 8 instruments of cooperation: “Commit to help tackle political instability in Mozambique”
Malawi President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera and his Kenyan counterpart, Uhuru Kenyatta, today agreed to and signed eight instruments of cooperation to spur socioeconomic transformation among the people of the two countries.
The agreed upon instruments include defence, diplomacy, health, cooperatives, tourism, agriculture, ad other areas for the mutual benefit and development of Kenya and Malawi.
Addressing journalists at Kenya’s State House in Nairobi, President Chakwera said now that there is a ratified African Continental Free Trade Area (ACFTA), which the two countries are set to fully leverage to ensure that the future we are working towards is one of shared prosperity, the agreements are a sign that the “best days of our kinship are yet to come.”
“Those best days forward include the finalization of the other agreements we are still discussing. Those best days forward include seeing our brothers and sisters in Mozambique enjoy a return to peace and security with the support of Malawi and Kenya, and I must commend Your Excellency for the contributions Kenya has made thus far to peacekeeping effort in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” said the Malawi leader.
Chakwera added that the best days forward include continued exchanges between the people of Malawi and Kenya at all levels.
He thanked Kenyatta for his eagerness and leadership to see the agreements done, for they are the runway from which “our kinship will take off.”
“And I thank Your Excellency for the warmth and hospitality with which you have received me and welcomed our ideas,” said Chakwera.
He said although the Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation between our two countries had not met for years, the speed at which this has been revived is a testament of the chemistry and special bond of kinship that has always existed between Malawi and Kenya since their founding in the early sixties.
“I personally felt that bond of kinship when Your Excellency and I met on the sidelines of the Global Education Summit in London, of which Your Excellency was a great co-host. I felt that bond of kinship when I interacted with Your Excellency and other Kenyan officials at various fora. I felt that bond of kinship upon my arrival here in Nairobi and during my participation in Mashujaa Day celebrations yesterday.
“I felt that bond of kinship here at State House this morning as we talked face-to-face and heart-to-heart. Indeed, I feel that bond of kinship even now as I stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Your Excellency to announce a new dawn of cooperation between our two countries,” narrated the Malawi leader.
In his remarks, Kenyatta said the signing of the eight instruments of cooperation heralds a new dawn in the Kenya-Malawi bilateral relations that will be dominated by years of success and progress.
He stressed that having attained liberation from their colonial masters; it is now time for current and next generations of Kenyans and Malawians to innovate and transform their societies through economic emancipation and genuine political independence.
“JPCC is therefore an important mechanism for strengthening relations and unlocking the unlimited political, social, economic and diplomatic potential of the two countries for the benefit of their people.
“As we set the new cooperation instruments in motion, I would like to task our respective Government Officials to expedite the conclusion of negotiations for the remaining MoUs and Agreements in the areas of Forestry Management; Information Communication Technology; Police Service; Investment Protection and Promotion Agreement (IPPA); Lands, Physical Planning and Urban Development; Customs; Gender Equality and Women Empowerment; and Youth Development, so as to fully unlock the potential of our bilateral ties for the benefit of the Citizens of our two Republics,” said Kenyatta.
He expressed optimism that these arrangements, if well implemented, could hold answers to the continent’s African Solutions to African Problems doctrine.
He added that through these multilateral platforms Kenya, Malawi and other African countries have an excellent opportunity to explore tangible approaches to build strong and resilient African economies, post Covid-19.
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