David McAllister MEP: Press Conference in Lilongwe, Malawi (19 December 2023)
We have decided to travel to Malawi to recognise our long-standing partnership and discuss how we can continue deepening our political and multilateral cooperation. In times of direct attacks on and the decline of democracy worldwide, working together with partners in Africa that share similar values is paramount.
Yesterday afternoon we had the pleasure to exchange views with civil society representatives, as well as to get a deeper insight into the good work carried out by international organisations.
This morning, we first met with Right Honourable Catherine Gotani Hara, Speaker of the National Assembly, and then the Principal Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mr Bernard Sande. Just before this press point, we have had the honour to meet with President of the Republic of Malawi, His Excellency Dr Lazarus Chakwera.
Our visit to Lilongwe also takes place just one month after the signing of the Samoa Agreement and its high ambitions in key areas, from climate to peace and security, to investments and job creation, in line with the Global Gateway Strategy. Let me also underline its strong parliamentary dimension, whereby our cooperation will continue through the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, as newly also through a dedicated Regional Parliamentary Assembly.
We have discussed a number of issues in our meetings. Allow me to highlight a few of them.
We reaffirmed the European Parliament’s interest to listen to and engage with partners on the African continent. The AU-EU Summit in 2022 further solidified that Europe and Africa need each other to build a solid and lasting response to global common challenges. We warmly welcome that the African Union has joined the G20, providing an additional platform for such deliberations.
The complex geopolitical reality of today requires us to focus on joint efforts to strengthen the multilateral rules-based order.
Russia’s illegal, unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine has been raging in Europe for more than a year and a half. We recognise and appreciate our shared values and partnership in multilateral forums, demonstrating that Malawi and EU are committed to facing global challenges together. Malawi’s clear stance on the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine in the United Nations General Assembly is extremely important.
The consequences of this brutal war are felt all around the world. We recognise that the energy and food crises, inflation and consequent soaring prices are the most evident and direct result, felt very strongly here in African countries. The EU has supported and continues to support Malawi in mitigating these negative impacts, allocating EUR 15 million to combat food insecurity and grow its economy. Let me underline that EU sanctions on Russia do not target the agricultural sector.
In the context of our strong and stable partnership, we also discussed the need to ensure a prosperous future for Malawi. To this end, we expressed our high consideration for Malawi’s ambitious political and economic reform agenda. In particular, we noted the steps taken by Malawi to strengthen its economy among increasing external pressures, including the newly secured IMF Extended Credit Facility. We also underlined the EU’s support for Malawi’s fight against corruption. Let me assure you of our continued encouragement and EU financial support in the framework of our bilateral cooperation programme.
I firmly believe that together, we can build a more secure and prosperous future for Malawian citizens and especially for its youth.