Mozambique envoy bids Malawi’s Banda farewell: Relationship repaired
Malawi President Mrs Joyce Banda on Thursday received the outgoing Mozambique High Commissioner, Pedro Davani, at Sanjika Palace who had called in to bid her farewell as his tenure of service in the country came to an end.
The Mozambique diplomat expressed satisfaction with the political development in Malawi since President Banda ascended to presidency in April and emphasized strengthening of ties between the two countries.
Relations between the two countries were strained during the reign of late president Bingu wa Mutharika, partly because Mozambique has insisted that landlocked Malawi cannot use the Zambezi and Shire rivers for its trade before the conclusion of an environmental impact study demanded by the Mozambican authorities.
Barges sent up the river to Nsanje were stopped and Mozambique insisted that the rivers could only be opened to international traffic after a thorough environmental impact study.
Furthermore, on several occasions Malawian officials during Mutharika administration tried to blame Mozambique for Malawi’s chronic fuel shortage.
But Davani said the relationship have improved following the change in the Malawian leadership.
“After President Banda’s visit in May, the two countries have signed agreements to improve the transport and electricity sectors in the country,” Said Davani.
The diplomat described the six years that he has been an envoy to Malawi as successful and challenging.
Davani who came to Malawi in 2006 said he is happy to have been in Malawi and says the relationship between the two countries are in the right direction after President Banda made an official visit to Mozambique to repair the relations of cooperation and good neighbourliness.
“I can describe the six years I have been here as successful as we have a cordial relationship.”
Davani added that it is the will of both countries to strengthen relationship so that they can work together to improve lives of the people.
“It is interest of both countries to strengthen relationship, and let me also add that people of Malawi and Mozambique are the same, we as neighbours must live together in harmony,” said the outgoing High Commissioner.
President Banda values Mozambique as a very important neighbour.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
