Malawi to re-open embassy in Kenya

Written By:PPS,    Posted: Sat, Nov 24, 2012

President Kibaki and President Robert Mugabe arrive at the Speke Resort Munyonyo for the closing session of COMESA Summit President Mwai Kibaki Saturday met and held talks with Malawian President Joyce Banda who paid him a courtesy call at Speke Resort, Munyonyo in Kampala. The two leaders who met on the sidelines of the 16th Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Heads of State Summit agreed to strengthen relations between the two countries. President Banda briefed President Kibaki on Malawi's plan to re-open its High Commission in Nairobi as part of the initiative to strengthen relations between the two countries. The High Commission offices closed down ten years ago but its property remains intact. The two leaders agreed to re-invigorate the Kenya-Malawi Joint Permanent Commission that used to meet every two years but has not met for ten years. She also briefed President Kibaki on the conflict between Malawi and Tanzania over Lake Malawi and invited President Kibaki to visit her country before he goes on retirement. President Kibaki welcomed the decision by Malawi to re-open its High Commission in Nairobi and offered Kenya's support towards strengthening bilateral co-operation between the two countries. President Kibaki called for amicable solution in regard to the dispute between Malawi and Tanzania. He also directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to fast track efforts towards reviving the Kenya-Malawi Joint Permanent Commission and hold their first meeting as soon as possible. Present during the meeting were Foreign Affairs Minister Professor Sam Ongeri, Trade Minister Moses Wetang'ula, Kenya's High Commissioner to Uganda Major General (rtd) Geoffrey Okanga and senior Kenya Government officials. M23 condemned Elsewhere, the 16th Summit of the Authority of the Common Market for Eastern and southern Africa (COMESA) that brought together heads of state and scores of Government representatives ended Saturday with a strong condemnation of rebels groups trying to destabilize member countries. In a communiqué,  the summit attended by President Mwai Kibaki particularly condemned rebel groups that include Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR), The Lord Resistance Army (LRA) and M23 rebel group that threaten stability in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)  and  the Great Lakes Region. The Summit particularly condemned the M23 rebel movement for violation of cessation of hostilities by capturing the City of Goma and disregarding a ceasefire brokered by the Chairman of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), President Kaguta Museveni of Uganda. The summit meeting in Kampala Uganda expressed concern over the worsening humanitarian situation in eastern DRC and called on M23 rebel group to withdraw from all occupied areas and allow ICGLR to find a solution to the conflict using a political and diplomatic process. The summit further expressed concern on the acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia and the Indian Ocean and urged the international community to urgently release resources to address the problem. The summit reiterated the importance of democracy and good governance as a basis for sustainable peace, security, stability and development and called on member states to continue strengthening democratic processes at the national level. Inter-country markets The COMESA states agreed to fast track the implementation of infrastructure projects in railways, roads, maritime and air transport, energy and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). On gender and social affairs, the summit stressed the importance of enhancing the participation of micro, small and medium enterprises in intra-COMESA trade with a focus on women and youth. The summit urged the Preferential Trade Area (PTA) Bank and other financial institutions in the COMESA region to provide affordable and accessible financing to women in business. The authority also directed the COMESA Secretariat to work with member states in the development of a model for inter-country markets to be used by member countries. The summit also among other things endorsed the establishment of the COMESA Innovation Council, Innovation Fund and the Annual Innovation Award and appointed members to the innovation council. During the summit meeting, Ugandan President Kaguta Museveni was elected as the chairman of COMESA and took over from Malawian President Joyce Banda. The summit also appointed Kenya's High Commissioner to Zambia who is also Kenya Permanent Representative to COMESA Ambassador Dr Kipyego Cheluget as the new Assistant Secretary General for Programmes for a period of five years.