Malawi's former PresidentBakili Muluzi continued the pro-Westernforeign policy established by his predecessor,Hastings Banda. It maintains excellent diplomatic relations with principal Western countries. Malawi's closerelations with South Africa throughout theapartheid era strained its relations with other African nations. Following the collapse of apartheid in 1994, Malawi developed, and currently maintains, strong diplomatic relations with all African countries.
Malawi assumed the chair of theSouthern African Development Community (SADC) in 2001. Muluzi took an active role in SADC on issues such as the global coalition against terrorism and land reform inZimbabwe.
Malawi has been a member of theACP group since Lomé I and is also a party to theCotonou Agreement, the partnership agreement between theEuropean Community/European Union and 77 states from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific.
Malawi is also a member of theInternational Criminal Court with a Bilateral Immunity Agreement of protection for the US-military (as covered underArticle 98).
Both countries established diplomatic relations on 1 July 1967 when first High Commissioner of Botswana Mr. H. Mannathoko presented his credentials to President of Malawi.[20]
Hastings Banda recognized theRepublic of China (Taiwan) in 1967. In January 2008, Malawi switched this recognition to the People's Republic of China.[1]Archived 29 January 2008 at theWayback Machine
Since 2008 there has been a significant shift by the Malawian government towards accepting investment from China.[104] Potentially this may be part of a wider power struggle between the East and West in Africa.[105]
Both countries established diplomatic relations on 19 October 1964 when has been accredited Acting High Commissioner of India to Malawi Mr. Dileep S. Kamtekar.[8]
Both countries established diplomatic relations on 5 April 1971.[107] But diplomatic relations were severed on 11 February 1979 and re-established on 18 February 1996.[51]
Between 1985 and 1995, Malawi accommodated more than a million refugees fromMozambique. The refugee crisis placed a substantial strain on Malawi's economy but also drew significant inflows of international assistance. The accommodation and eventual repatriation of the Mozambicans is considered a major success by international organizations.
Neither country has an embassy in each other's territories. The Philippines's embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, is accredited to Malawi; on the other hand, Malawi's embassy in Tokyo, Japan, is accredited to the Philippines.
As of 25 May 2018, the date of presentation of credentials of Philippine non-resident ambassador Uriel Norman Garibay to President Arthur Peter Mutharika, there are 41 Filipino nationals residing in Malawi, mainly in Blantyre and Lilongwe.[110]
Both countries established diplomatic relations on 26 September 2012 when Ambassador of Malawi to Qatar (resident in Kuwait City) Mr. Yunis Abdul Karim has presented his credentials.[80]
Both countries established diplomatic relations on 26 June 2001 when accredited first Ambassador of Rwanda to Malawi (resident in Dar es Salaam) Mr. Zephyr Mutanguha[63]
In 1996, Malawi received a number of Rwandan and Congolese refugees seeking asylum. The government did not turn away refugees, but it did invoke the principle of "first country of asylum." Under this principle, refugees who requested asylum in another country first, or who had the opportunity to do so would not subsequently be granted asylum in Malawi. There were no reports of the forcible repatriation of refugees.
The colonial structures of Malawian labour export to South African mines continued after Malawi achieved independence in 1964. Led by dictatorHastings Banda, Malawi was the only African country to maintain close relations with White-ruled South Africa until the 1994 election ofNelson Mandela. Malawians were viewed as important workers in the South African mines due to their "skills, work discipline and lack of militancy"[111] From 1988 to 1992, around 13,000 Malawian migrant laborers were forcefully repatriated out of South Africa. Officially, this was because 200 Malawians had tested positive for HIV in the previous two years, but many believe that it was due to the need for retrenchment of laborers during a crisis in South Africa's mining industry.[111]
Since South Africa and Malawi had their first democratic elections in 1994, Malawi and South Africa have enhanced relations. In 2008, the two governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding designed to enhance the relationship between the two countries through enhanced security cooperation.[112]
Historical ties make the UK historically one of the more important donors and supporters of Malawi. However, the expulsion of the UK's High Commissioner in April 2011 may change this relationship. Since the expulsion the UK has suspended direct government aid,[119] citing concerns over governance and human rights.
The transition from a one-party state to a multi-party democracy significantly strengthened the already cordial U.S. relationship with Malawi. Significant numbers of Malawians study in the United States. The United States has an active Peace Corps program, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services, and an Agency for International Development (USAID) mission in Malawi.
In July 2011, the United States suspended direct funding. The US government agency responsible, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, suspended aid because it was 'deeply upset' by the deaths of the 19 people during theJuly protests.[120]
Both countries established diplomatic relations on 17 July 1981 when has been appointed first High Commissioner of Malawi to Zimbabwe Mr. M. A. Banda and open High Commission of Malawi in Harare.[121]
^Diplomatic and Consular List Issue 3. Malawi. Ministry of External Affairs. 1967. p. 1.6-7-1964 H.E. Mr. D. L. Cole, C.M.G., M.C. British High Commissioner (Doyen)
^Quarterly Economic Review of Zimbabwe, Malawi. Economist Intelligence Unit Limited. 1980. p. 15.
^Standard Chartered Review. Standard Chartered Bank. 1981. p. 7.
^Kalley, Jacqueline Audrey; Schoeman, Elna; Andor, Lydia Eve.Southern African Political History: A Chronology of Key Political Events from Independence to Mid-1997. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1999. p. 186.
^Australian Representation Overseas. Australian foreign affairs record.Vol. 54 No. 7 (July 1983) National Library of Australia (Trove). p. 376.Archived from the original on 12 July 2023. Retrieved13 July 2023.
^Southern African Political History: A Chronology of Key Political Events from Independence to Mid-1997. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1999. p. 188.
^Daily Report: Eastern Europe. Index, Volume 7. United States. Foreign Broadcast Information Service. p. 7.
^Diplomatic and Consular Directory - Issue 33. Malawi. Ministry of External Affairs, Malawi. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. June 2002. p. 17.12-4-2000 H.E. Mr. Abdalla K. Bashir Ambassador of Sudan
^abDiplomatic and Consular Directory, Issue 33. Malawi. Ministry of External Affairs, Malawi. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. 2002. p. 18.
^"Western Sahara Weekly News". Association de soutien à un référendum libre et régulier au Sahara Occidental. 6 April 2002.Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved22 March 2014.
^Diplomatic and Consular Directory Issue 33. Malawi. Ministry of External Affairs, Malawi. Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. 2002. p. 189.
^Mojca Pristavec Đogić (2016)."Priznanja samostojne Slovenije"(PDF) (in Slovenian). p. 8.Archived(PDF) from the original on 26 April 2023. Retrieved22 December 2023.
^"Malawi".Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania. 19 February 2014. Archived fromthe original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved12 July 2023.