President Chakwera holds bilateral discussions with Hichilema

By Stanley Nkhondoyachepa

Dar es Salaam, January 28, Mana: Malawi`s President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera on Tuesday held an interface meeting with his Zambian counterpart, Hakainde Hichilema aimed at deepening bilateral ties to facilitate trade and economic cooperation.

Speaking after the meeting held on the sidelines of the 300 Africa Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the President said of particular interest was a discussion on the challenges Malawi is facing to lift volumes of Petroleum products from other regional ports.

“I have therefore suggested to President Hichilema long-term alternatives that bring Zambia into the equation,” he said.

President Chakwera said some of the suggested alternatives involve lifting some of Malawi`s fuel from Lusaka by leveraging the pipeline that reaches there from Dar es Salaam and the other involves bringing some of Malawi`s fuel by rail from Chipata through Mchinji.

The President observed that both ways would leverage Zambia`s experience from its establishment of linkages to the sea in Lobito, Angola.

The Malawi leader said he together with the Zambian President remain committed to ensure that the two countries continue learning from each other in advancing their respective development agendas around Agriculture, Tourism, Mining and Trade, among other key sectors.

Malawi has for the past months been facing interrupted fuel supply leading to scarcity of the commodity.

President Chakwera`s effort to find alternative means of bringing fuel into the country will likely minimize the challenges and ensure a stable supply of the commodity