The second Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) between India and Malawi were held in Lilongwe on 04 August 2023. The Indian side was led by Shri Puneet R. Kundal, Joint Secretary (East & Southern Africa ) and the Malawi side was led by Mr. Bernard H. Sande, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malawi.
During the FOC, both delegations reviewed their wide ranging bilateral relationship, covering political exchanges, development partnership, defence cooperation, trade and economic matters, consular issues and cooperation in areas such as Agriculture, Education, Health, Mines & Minerals, Digital Technology, Renewable Energy, Art & Culture, etc. Both sides agreed to further diversify cooperation in various areas to further strengthen this relationship.
Both sides also discussed multilateral issues of mutual interest, including UN Security Council reforms, peace and security in Southern Africa, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and South African Development Community (SADC).
The two sides agreed to continue high level political exchanges and regular meetings of the joint institutional mechanisms to keep the partnership vibrant and mutually beneficial.
The Indian side invited Malawi to join the Coalition for Disaster, Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA).
It was agreed to hold the next round of Consultations at mutually convenient dates in 2024 in New Delhi.