By: Geoffrey Banda Jnr
UK government is expected to aid Malawi with £80 million to bail out people in the country from current maize shortage.
According to statement released by British High Commission in Lilongwe, the Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell will be on a three-day visit to Malawi and among other he will offer the donation.
Mundell’s visit is among others aimed at strengthening relationship between the UK and Malawi, and the close historical and modern relationship between Malawi and Scotland in particular.
The statement explained that during the visit, Mundell will meet staff and partner organisations working in Malawi to deliver the £80m UK Aid development programme, including those involved in providing the humanitarian response to Malawi’s current maize shortage.
In his engagements with the Malawi Government, Mundell is expected to highlight their close cooperation with Malawi across a range of bilateral, regional and international issues and to encourage progress on the process of wide-ranging reform under the Government of President Mutharika.
Mundell said: “I am greatly looking forward to my second visit to Malawi. I hope my visit will underline the long standing links that the UK and Scotland in particular, has with Malawi. I will be promoting the breadth of that relationship, as development partners assisting Malawi with £80 million bilaterally this year, facilitating education, business and institutional relationships, and responding to assist Malawi in times of humanitarian crisis.”
“I am looking forward to hearing from the Malawi Government and others about the urgency of broad reforms to move the country from aid to greater prosperity and self-reliance, while demonstrating that the UK and no more so than the people of Scotland, are proud to stand by the people of Malawi on that journey.”
Secretary of State for Scotland becomes the most senior UK Government minister to visit Malawi since May 2012 after former Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew Mitchell.
Mundell was appointed Secretary of State for Scotland in May 2015.
He previously visited Malawi (January, 2013) in his role as Under- Secretary of State for Scotland.
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