* With many development partners scaling back aid, Malawi must focus on driving private sector growth to meet its long-term development goals
* In a global context where many development partners are scaling back development aid, we must focus on partnerships that drive investment
* Strategic sectors like mining and energy offer tremendous potential for deeper alignment with the EU—Foreign Affairs Minister Nancy Tembo
By Rosalia Kapiri, MANA
Malawi and the European Union (EU) have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening their partnership through the third high-level partnership dialogue held on Tuesday in Lilongwe — convened under the framework of the Samoa Agreement.
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It brought together senior officials from both sides to discuss cooperation on issues ranging from governance; investment to energy & mining and the upcoming tripartite elections.
The dialogue followed the recent EU-AU Ministerial meeting held in Brussels on May 21, 2025, and served as a platform to align strategic priorities amid a rapidly evolving global development landscape.
In her opening remarks, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nancy Tembo emphasised the growing importance of shifting from traditional aid models to investment-led partnerships.
She noted that with many development partners scaling back aid, Malawi must focus on driving private sector growth to meet its long-term development goals, saying: “In a global context where many development partners are scaling back development aid, we must focus on partnerships that drive investment.
“Strategic sectors like mining and energy offer tremendous potential for deeper alignment with the EU,” said Tembo, who also underscored the importance of creating an environment that enables private enterprise to thrive, in line with MW2063, the country’s long-term development strategy.
“An enabling environment that empowers the private sector is essential for achieving inclusive and sustainable prosperity,” she said.
European Union Ambassador to Malawi, Rune Skinnebach reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to supporting Malawi’s ambitions, particularly in areas with the potential for sustainable economic transformation.
Ambassador Rune Skinnebach
“The EU and its Member States are reliable and strong partners for Malawi in a wide range of areas, among them clean energy and natural resource management,” said Skinnebach.
“We work together in these areas because they harness the greatest potential for sustainable economic growth in Malawi, and because we want Malawi to succeed, including in overcoming challenges related to governance, public institutions and legal frameworks.”
Malawi’s delegation included Ministers Tembo; Titus Mvalo (Justice); Ken Zikhale Ng’oma (Mining); Ibrahim Matola (Energy); senior officials from the Ministries of Finance, Economic Affairs, Trade & Industry; chief executive officer for Malawi Mining Company and a representative from the Malawi Electoral Commission.
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On the EU side, the dialogue was co-chaired by Ambassador Skinnebach and attended by ambassadors from Germany, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Poland, along with chargé d’affaires from Romania and representatives from the French Embassy and the EU Delegation to Malawi.
The biannual meetings are between the EU and Malawi Government of Malawi under the Partnership Agreement with the members of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States, known as the Samoa Agreement.
It is held at the highest political levels and enables both parties to exchange views on shared priorities and strengthen cooperation across bilateral, regional, and multilateral agendas.
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Both sides concluded the meeting by reaffirming their shared commitment to democratic governance, human rights, sustainable economic development, and multilateralism, pledging to build a stronger, more resilient partnership in the years ahead.
In addition to addressing issues such as the promotion of democracy, rule of law, good governance, human rights and sustainable economic development, both parties re-committed to a continued cooperation and engaged to optimize the attractiveness of Malawi for investments and private sector led growth.
In an international context marked by volatility, EU and Malawi underlined the importance of their strong and continued cooperation as equal partners, of supporting multilateralism, and upholding their common values.
