Tony Blair expected to visit Malawi today

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is expected to arrive in the country today (Thursday) for a visit that will principally hover around his Africa Governance Initiative (AGI).

AGI works with dynamic leaders in the fight against poverty on the continent.

Political Affairs Officer for the British High Commission Lewis Kulisewa confirmed the visit yesterday.

“Yes Mr. Tony Blair will be in the country for a few days,” said Kulisewa, declining to give further details.

Blair will be in the country as founder of the AGI in light of the political, social economic and governance experiences of the past five months in which a new administration found itself in office.

Besides visits to targeted projects, Blair is expected to meet President Joyce Banda and a number of senior government officials working in the areas that are directly linked to poverty reduction in the country.

After Malawi, Blair is expected to fly to South Africa on Saturday on a similar mission.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s Nobel prize winner—retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu—has refused to meet Blair when he visits that country on grounds that the ex-British prime minister supported United States’ invasion of Iraq when there was no proof of weapons of mass destruction in the Gulf state