By Jimmy Chazama:
The government of India has pledged to support Malawi with 1,000 metric tonnes (mt) of rice to boost food security.
It has also pledged to provide anti-cancer drugs and general medicines to strengthen the health sector.
Indian High Commissioner to Malawi Amararam Gujar made the announcement on Monday during celebrations marking the 77th Republic Day in Lilongwe.
Gujar said Malawi and India shared a partnership that was built on culture and values, which he said had helped drive economic growth.
“We are happy to help Malawi in many areas, including food, fuel, fertiliser and forex, as appealed by the Government of Malawi,” Gujar said.
He pointed at four pillars of cooperation: development partnership, political relations, economic and commercial ties, and people-to-people exchanges.
On trade, he noted that bilateral trade stood at around 500 million United States dollars before the Covid pandemic but has since dropped.
He expressed confidence that trade and investment could recover, citing Indians’ investments in Malawi worth about half a billion United States dollars.
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister George Chaponda said the country valued India’s role as a key partner in national development efforts.
He cited cooperation in areas such as agriculture, health, energy, infrastructure and education.
Chaponda also hailed India’s contribution to human capital development through the provision of scholarships and training for Malawian students and professionals.
“India has been instrumental in building Malawi’s human capital and we are eager to deepen cooperation in education, information communication technology, trade and investment,” Chaponda said.
The celebrations attracted government officials, diplomats and members of the Indian community in Malawi.