By Jones Gadama
President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika has commended the strong and cordial relations between Malawi and the United States, describing the partnership as mutually beneficial and critical to the country’s development agenda.
The President made the remarks on Friday at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe when he met with outgoing United States Chargé d’Affaires, Jonathan Fischer, who was paying a farewell courtesy call at the end of his tour of duty.
President Mutharika said Malawi values the long-standing cooperation with Washington, which he noted has supported key areas of national development over the years.
“We appreciate the partnership that we have with the United States. It is a relationship that has brought tangible benefits to our people,” the President said.
He called on the US government to sustain its development support to Malawi and to increase private sector investment, particularly in agriculture, mining, education and health.
President Mutharika observed that deeper cooperation in those sectors would help accelerate government efforts to expand economic opportunities, improve service delivery and uplift livelihoods across the country.
“The areas of agriculture, mining, education and health remain central to our development priorities. Continued support and investment in these sectors will help us move faster towards the Malawi that we all want to see,” he said.
The President further expressed confidence that Malawi’s relationship with the US and other development partners continues to grow because of the direction his government has taken.
“Our administration is focused on development, on creating jobs, and on ending the poverty that was left behind by previous administrations. That is why donors and partners continue to have confidence in the work that we are doing,” President Mutharika said.
In his remarks, Mr. Fischer thanked the government and people of Malawi for the support and hospitality extended to him during his tenure. He commended Malawi for its commitment to democratic values and regional stability.
The outgoing Chargé d’Affaires assured President Mutharika that the United States remains committed to Malawi’s development path.
“The United States will continue to stand with Malawi. We remain committed to supporting your development priorities through our programmes, technical assistance and humanitarian support,” Mr. Fischer said.
He noted that US assistance to Malawi has over the years targeted health, education, agriculture and governance, and expressed optimism that the partnership will continue to deliver results for Malawians.
President Mutharika thanked Mr. Fischer for his service and wished him well in his future assignments.
Friday’s meeting underscores the continued diplomatic engagement between Lilongwe and Washington as the Mutharika administration pushes to attract more investment and development support aimed at growing the economy and reducing poverty.
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