MUTHARIKA HOLDS 30 MINUTES TALK WITH PUTIN

President Peter Mutharika on Wednesday had a one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to State House, the focus of Malawi at the summit is investment in energy, mining and opening up of new Markets for Malawi in Russia for products such as tobacco and legumes.

In the evening on Wednesday, Putin treated Mutharika and other African Heads of state to a dinner gala.

Speaking to the leaders at the Gala, Putin repeated his message that Russia is open for deeper cooperation with African countries in areas such as trade, mining, infrastructure development and ICT development among others.

Putin emphasized that the policy of Russia remains that of non-interference in internal affairs, that Africa should be allowed to develop using solutions developed by Africans themselves and that Russian assistance to Africa should be on “no strings attached basis”.

During the Gala the Malawi leader President Mutharika had the honor of being seated alongside President Putin, President Nyusi of Mozambique, President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa and Abdel Fatah Al Sisi of Egypt where they exchanged notes.

The Gala was a Presidential business dinner organized for continued business talk amongst the leaders.

Today, Mutharika will address the first Plenary Session of the Russia-Africa Summit at the Sirius Park for Science and Art.

The summit is the first of its kind and has been organized by the Ros Congress, a socially oriented non-financial development institution and a major organizer of international conventions, exhibitions, and public events.