By Wallace Chipeta, Kinshasa, DRC
Kinshasa, August 18 MANA: President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera told journalists on Thursday in Kinshasa, DRC that Malawi stands to gain a lot in the short and long terms after chairing Southern African Development Community (SADC).
“With SADC meetings that have been taking place in Lilongwe, Malawi has been put on the map. Its profile has been raised. That opens up avenues for more international trade between Malawi and other countries in the region,” he said.
Clarifying his point, Chakwera said the SADC meetings gave opportunities for Malawi to interact with all manner of Ministries, departments and agencies within Malawi and the region as the whole.
Among such ministries were trade and Industry, natural resources, mining and agriculture that raised awareness of the development issues through sharing experiences and skills among delegates to the meetings.
“This year has been very good for Malawi in terms of its own position vis-a-vis resolving issues to do with security threats in Mozambique.
We were able to mobilize the whole region to act together combating insecurity in neighboring Mozambique.
He said insecurity in Mozambique, is insecurity in Malawi. The president explained that SADC had to resolve the conflicts in Mozambique because the region could not want to see its people suffering and that other countries like Malawi should not be on the receiving end of those insecurities.
He revealed that SADC had opened up a lot of protocols like that on trade that were dormant which Malawi, as a member 0state, stands to benefit.
“Now, we would want to trade fairly and openly with the rest of the 0region. Regional integration will happen when countries are able to trade amongst themselves, movements of peoples and goods facilitated and then the Africa trade area can take off.
At the end of the SADC Summit, the former SADC Chair accompanied by the first lady Monica Chakwera departed N’Djili International Airport in Kinshasa, DRC for Lilongwe, Malawi on Thursday.
Dr Chakwera and Madam Chakwera were seen off by DRC Minister of Transport, Cherubin Okende.
Theme for the 42nd Ordinary SADC Summit is: promoting industrialization through, agro-processing, mineral beneficiation, and regional value chains for inclusive and resilient economic growth
