Africa is in state of shock after Russia President Vladimir Putin invited President Dr Lazarus Chakwera to this year’s Russia -Africa Humanitarian Forum slated to take place in July.
This was revealed during the handover ceremony of 20 thousand metric tons of fertilizer by Russia to Malawi.
The fertilizer has been donated from Russian company Uralchem-Uralkali Group.
Nikolai Krasilnikov, Russian Ambassador to Zimbabwe and Malawi said Putin has invited Chakwera to the forum in respect of the mutual relationship standing between Malawi and Russia.
Krasilnikov has since expressed Russia’s commitment towards helping the country in the fight against Cholera saying that health experts are ready to join the battle.
And on his part Sam Kawale , Minister of Agriculture said the invitation speaks volumes of how the two nations would want to deepen their bilateral relationship.
According to Kawale, such summits are vital for country’s like Malawi to develop.
Malawi Government received a donation of 20,000 metric tonnes (about 400,000 bags) of fertilizer from URALCHEM-URALKALI, a Russian Fertilizer company.
Speaking during the official handover ceremony today at Mkwinda EPA in T/A Chiseka, Minister of Agriculture, Sam Dalitso Kawale commended the Russian Government for their commitment to supporting Malawi and urged farmers to efficiently use the fertilizer in order to achieve food security at household levels.
The Minister assured beneficiaries that efforts are being made to ensure everyone has access to the fertilizer and that preparations for the next AIP disbursement are already underway to prevent delays.
Kawale acknowledged the assistance of various development partners including the United Nations, World Food Programme, and Mozambique as well as the French Government for their assistance in getting the fertilizer into the country.
Group Village Headman Chitseka, expressed gratitude and excitement for the fertilizer donation saying it will increase their winter cropping yield.
In his remarks, Russian Ambassador to Malawi, Nikolai Krasilnikov said it is their belief that the fertilizer will go a long way in enhancing the agricultural output of Malawian farmers, and a huge step towards fostering stronger bilateral relations.
“Today is a special day for us at URALCHEM. Our representative, Dmitri, expressed his gratitude to the Malawi Government for the privilege of being able to make a difference and impact the lives of Malawians. We believe that our donation brings us one step closer to achieving agricultural sustainability goals. It’s possible for many families to produce abundant crops with our fertilizer. We are excited about extending our friendship beyond this donation and offering our expertise in fertilizer application. Let’s work together to solve your agriculture problems and turn risks into opportunities. Please use the fertilizer wisely.”
Representing URALCHEM, Dmitry Shornikov said their company is privileged to make a difference and to impact the lives of Malawians through the donation and looks forward to providing agricultural expertise on fertilizer application to ensure agriculture sustainability.