Chakwera Back from Mozambique

President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has asked Malawians to make use of the opportunities that will come as the country is set to take the Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairmanship.

The president was speaking at Kamuzu International Airport upon arrival from the 40th SADC Extraordinary Heads of State and Government Summit of the  held in Mozambique.

Chakwera says the summit has been of great benefit by among others, enhancing relations with members of the SADC community and creating an opportunity to advance regional policy that would benefit Malawians living in other countries within the region.

The president says Malawians should take advantage of the SADC summit which will take place in Lilongwe through trade tourism and industrialization as he ascends to the block chairmanship in August this year.

The Summit has among others endorsed the recommendations of the Report of the Chairperson of the Organ on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation and approved the Mandate for the SADC Standby Force Mission to the Republic of Mozambique, to be deployed in support of Mozambique to combat of terrorism and acts of violent extremism in Cabo Delgado, urged Member States in collaboration with Humanitarian Agencies to continue providing humanitarian support to the population affected by the terrorist attacks, in Cabo Delgado, including the internally displaced persons.

The Summit has also called upon the World Trade Organization (WTO) to finalize negotiations on the waiver of certain provisions of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of the Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), and expedite its operationalization.

It also called for the end of vaccine nationalism and for equal access to vaccine by all countries as well as urged all SADC citizens to continue observing and adhering to COVID-19 preventive measures.