The President told reporters before departure at Kamuzu International Airport that he is looking forward to creating new favorable ties with the Russian federation during the 23-25 October summit..

“It is important that Malawi and Africa as a whole should keep on expanding their international ties in the global community to help strengthen economic cooperation and growth,” said Mutharika.

The President said he will have a meeting with the Russian President, Vladmir Putin and five companies to discuss investment in different sectors such as agriculture and infrastructure. “In addition to forging bilateral relations with Russia, I look forward to connecting with the European community as a whole to promote economic development,” he explained.

The Russia-Africa Summit will also contribute towards the overall objective of addressing the aspirations of African countries as encapsulated in Agenda 2063.