By Patricia Kapulula

Lilongwe, May 20, Mana: President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has described the visit by the Prime Minister for Iceland as a blessing for Malawi saying it acts as model from where Malawi can draw lessons to its aspirations.

President Chakwera was speaking Monday evening at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe during a State Banquet he hosted for the visiting Prime Minister of Iceland.

He said Iceland has achieved an inclusive wealth and self-reliance status, which Malawi aspires in the Malawi 2063, as such Malawi can study what Iceland has done to recover its economy from debt distress to productivity through tourism.

“Malawi has an opportunity of learning from the success of a truly role model nation and that makes for a very special relationship,” he said.

He, therefore, hailed Iceland’s commitment to assisting Malawi in areas such as health and education as a symbol of strengthened relationship existing between the two countries which creates a number of areas of cooperation for the benefit of the people of the two countries.

Prime Minister of Iceland, Bjarni Benediksson, said his country cherishes the existing relationship between the two countries saying over 100 citizens, with a population of 400,000, call Malawi their home.

He, therefore, pledged his country’s continued support to Malawi in its development agenda.

Currently, Iceland is support Mangochi District in the health and education sectors and intends to replicate the same to Nkhotakota.

Benediktsson, arrived in the country on Sunday through Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) for a five-day working visit.

He is expected to visit Koche Demonstration School in Mangochi on Wednesday among other engagements before departure for Iceland on Thursday.

Malawi and Iceland relations date back to 1989 through the Icelandic International Development Agency (ICEIDA).