By Chisomo Phiri
President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has today left the country for Luanda, Angola whereas the Head of State is expected to attend the 43rd Session of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) Summit Meeting slated for August 17 and 18.
According to the Ministry of Affairs statement,the Summit will be held under the theme ‘Human and Financial Capital: The key drivers for sustainable industrialisation of the Sadc Region’.
Among other activities, the Summit will elect Angola to become the next Chairperson of Sadc, succeeding the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Summit will also provide political
direction and commitment on how the region should position itself in the face of diverse and complex opportunities and threats that increasingly demand regional cooperation.
The objective of the Summit Meeting is to pursue, among other issues, alternative international financial systems.
Speaking on his departure at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) in Lilongwe,the Malawi leader said the SADC summit is an opportune moment to assert Malawi’s development aspirations within the region and widen our economic prospects through meaningful regional integration and cooperation.
“I am, therefore, heading to Angola to align with fellow SADC leaders on how best we can use human and financial capital to drive sustainable industrialisation within the bloc.
“The thematic thrust of this year’s summit mirrors our Malawi Vision 2063 especially under Enabler number 5 which positions our workforce, especially the youth, as a pivotal component for economic transformation when we invest in them appropriately,” said Chakwera.
The President said the summit discussions will also consolidate peace and security, and democracy in the region.
Quoted Chakwera:”As for the BRICS summit, we will champion our cause with emerging and fellow developing markets through multilateral cooperation to rebalance the world’s economic and political tectonics and make the global system conducive for inclusive growth.”
From Angola, President Chakwera will proceed to Johannesburg, South Africa, to attend the 15th Session of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) Plus Outreach Summit from 22nd to 24th August, 2023.
The Malawi leader is expected back home on August 25.
