Malawi Growth and Development Strategy / African Development Bank Group ( AfDB) / AfDB President in Malawi

LILONGWE, Malawi, July 29, 2008/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The President of the African Development Bank Group, Donald Kaberuka, arrived in the Malawian capital, Lilongwe, on Tuesday to begin a two-day official visit.



Mr. Kaberuka will meet with Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika and hold talks with leading government figures, including the Minister of Finance, Goodall Gondwe, and the Minister of Economic Planning and Development, Ken Lupenga.



“The main objective of the visit is to conduct dialogue with the Government of Malawi on how the African Development Bank can support its various development programmes, particularly those related to the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy,” an AfDB spokesperson said. “The talks will strengthen cooperation between the AfDB and the Government of Malawi.”



While in Malawi, Mr. Kaberuka will participate in the official opening of the African Development Bank’s Malawi Field Office and also address members of the private sector on the theme ‘Africa, the New Landscape: Managing Threats to Sustain Momentum’ in Blantyre, Malawi’s commercial hub. He will, on Thursday, conclude his visit to Malawi with a press conference in the capital, Lilongwe.



Malawi became a member of the African Development Bank Group in June 1969. The AfDB’s operation in the country began in 1972. By June 2008, the AfDB’s commitments in Malawi had reached USD 595.5 million in 92 operations.



The establishment of the Malawi Country Office is part of the Bank’s reform programme that began in 2005 and is aimed at improving efficiency by moving the Bank closer to its clients.



The Bank has, so far, opened 25 regional and field offices as part of its decentralization programme.