Lazarus Chakwera, UK envoy discuss economy
President Lazarus Chakwera and new British High Commissioner to Malawi Fiona Ritchie Thursday discussed the need for Malawi to work with other partners including the private sector to revamp the country’ s economy. This is according to the envoy, who spoke to the press after presenting her letters of credence to the Malawi leader at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.
President Lazarus Chakwera and new British High Commissioner to Malawi Fiona Ritchie Thursday discussed the need for Malawi to work with other partners including the private sector to revamp the country’s economy.
This is according to the envoy, who spoke to the press after presenting her letters of credence to the Malawi leader at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.
Ritchie said in her meeting with Chakwera, the two also tackled the need to strengthen the partnership between their countries.
“There is really a need to work together to strengthen Malawi’s economy and, with other partners in Malawi, we are prioritising microeconomic stability and working with the IMF [International Monetary Fund] and the World Bank to try and help Malawi to improve its debt sustainability,” Ritchie said.
The new British envoy also said her government’s priority is to make sure the relationship between the two countries is cherished to improve prosperity for ordinary Malawians.
Ritchie also welcomed Malawi’s long-term vision for prosperity as set out in Malawi 2063.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Nancy Tembo, said Ritchie, who has been in Malawi for the past 18 months, must have familiarised herself with challenges the country is facing.
Tembo said she is hopeful that Ritchie’s tenure will be beneficial to Malawi.
She added that during the meeting with Chakwera, Ritchie pledged to continue the work that her predecessors had been doing to woo British investors into Malawi.
“We are facing challenges some of them not of our own making and the British Government and other development partners have been here helping us,” the minister said.
Before assuming her new role, Ritchie was Development Director at the British High Commission and she replaces David Beer.