Africa-Press – Mozambique. The Mozambican and Malawian governments signed three bilateral agreements on Thursday in Lilongwe, at the start of a two day working visit to Malawi by President Daniel Chapo.
The agreements were signed after talks between delegations headed by Chapo and by his Malawian counterpart, Lazarus Chakwera. “This visit”, Chapo said, “is an opportunity to strengthen our relations of friendship, brotherhood, solidarity and cooperation”.
Mozambique, he added, “is committed to continued cooperation with the brother country of Malawi, in favour of the economic development of the two countries and the welfare of our two peoples”.
Chapo also stressed the social and political stability of Mozambique, the efforts to fight against Islamist terrorism in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, and the solidarity shown by Malawi within the Military Mission in Mozambique of the Southern African Development Community (SAMIM).
“We want to thank the brother people of Malawi, which formed part of SAMIM, the SADC force which fought against terrorism in this region”, he said.
During his speech, Chapo also spoke of the challenges imposed by climate change, mentioning the three cyclones – Chido, Dikeledi and Jude – which hit Mozambique between December and March. “This is a global challenge”, he said, “and we must remain together, united so that we have more resilient homes and infrastructures, in order to develop our countries”.
He stressed the importance of the Beira and Nacala development corridors for connections between the two countries, and his desire to establish direct air links between Malawi and the Mozambican cities of Tete and Nampula, to encourage business and facilitate mobility.
“We want to further develop our relations in the areas of mineral resources, energy, transport, logistics, fisheries and water resources”, declared Chapo.
For his part, Chakwera stressed the historic importance of Chapo’s visit. “The visit will provide an important platform for strengthening our existing relations, which are based on shared values”, he declared.
Chapo invited his Malawian counterpart to participate in the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of Mozambican independence, to be held in Maputo, on 25 June.
Speaking at a meeting with Malawian businesspeople, Chapo called for the removal of barriers to investment and the creation of a favourable business environment. He stressed the importance of public-private partnerships and reaffirmed the commitment of the Mozambican and Malawian governments to facilitate trade and investment.
“Africa needs to grow and develop, to generate more income for its people, and more jobs for youth”, stressed Chapo. “For this to happen, national and foreign investment must be attracted”.
One of the initiatives he announced was for the construction of a “one stop” border post to facilitate cross-border movement and trade between the two countries.
Referring to the deep cultural and linguistic affinities between Mozambique and Malawi, Chapo declared that bureaucratic barriers should be swept away. “We are one family. We have the same names, the same culture, the same language”, he said. “There’s no need for these barriers. Let’s facilitate business so that our countries can grow”.
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