By Gift Chiponde

Lilongwe, April 25, MANA: Minister of Information and Digitalization, Moses Kunkuyu has said the opening of the Malawi Embassy in Tel Aviv and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Temporary Employment Workers in the Agriculture Sector is a clear indication of government's commitment to strengthening relations with the state of Israel.

Kunkuyu made the remarks in Lilongwe, Wednesday, during a press briefing on the recent trip made by the Malawi delegation to Israel.

The Minister indicated that the delegation had an opportunity of opening a new Embassy in Tel Aviv which he said is a remarkable achievement in cementing diplomatic ties with the government of Israel.

He also said the delegation managed to sign the MoU with the state of Israel for Temporary Employment Workers in the Agriculture Sector which will see 3,000 workers benefiting from the initiative.

Among other engagements, Kunkuyu said the leader of the delegation, Nancy Tembo met Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, to discuss various bilateral topics, and they also had an opportunity to meet with Malawian workers who are currently working on Farms in Israel where they expressed satisfaction with the initiative, he said.

In addition, The Minister said the Malawi delegation also had meetings with the Israel Builders Association, where the association promised to come to Malawi to make formal recruitment of workers in the construction industry with an estimated 80,000 workers to benefit from the initiative.

Kunkuyu further disclosed that the delegation also met airline owners in Israel to ensure that those who will be recruited will have access to cheap air tickets and transportation. Emphasizing that the Ministry of Labour will be leading in the recruitment process with the agreement.

In her remarks, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nancy Tembo said government of the state of Israel has vast opportunities that Malawi is expecting to benefit from in various sectors which need Malawians who are serious and willing to work in Israel according to the agreement signed.