welcome statement by her excellency the president sadc summit official opening

7/27/2019 Welcome Statement by Her Excellency the President SADC Summit Official Opening

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WELCOME STATEMENT BY

HER EXCELLENCY DR. JOYCE BANDA,

PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF MALAWI

ON THE OCASSION OF

OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE 33RD SADC SUMMIT

OF HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT

LILONGWE, MALAWI

SATURDAY, 17TH AUGUST 2013

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Your Excellency, Armando Emilio Guebuza,

Chairperson of SADC, and President of the

Republic of Mozambique;

Your Excellency, Jakaya Kikwete, Chairperson of

the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security

Cooperation, and President of the United Republic

of Tanzania;

Your Excellencies Heads of States and

Government;

Your Excellencies, First Spouses;

Right Honourable Khumbo Kachali, Vice President

of the Republic of Malawi;

Your Excellency, Mrs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma,

Chairperson of the African Union Commission;

Your Excellencies, High Commissioners and

Ambassadors accredited to Malawi;

Your Honour Henry Chimunthu Banda, MP, Speaker

of the National Assembly;

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Your Lordship Anastasia Msosa, SC, Chief Justice

of the Republic of Malawi;

Mrs Hawa Ndilowe, Chief Secretary to the

Government of Malawi;

Your Excellency, Dr Tomaz Augusto Salomo,

SADC Executive Secretary;

Your Excellency, Dr Donald Kaberuka, President of

the African Development Bank;

Your Excellency, Dr Carlos Lopes, Executive

Secretary of the United Nations Economic

Commission for Africa (UNECA);

Your Excellencies Heads of Regional and

International Organisations here present;

Your Excellencies, Secretary Generals of COMESA

and East African Community;

Your Excellencies, SADC Deputy Executive

Secretaries, and Officials from the SADC

Secretariat;

Chairperson of the SADC Council of Ministers;

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Honourable Ministers;

Officials from the SADC Member States;

Mr. Richard Hara, Chief Executive Officer for the

Lilongwe City Council;

Distinguished Delegates;

Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is with great pleasure that I express my deepest

gratitude to you, Your Excellencies, and distinguished

delegates, for honouring the Government and the people

of Malawi with your presence here today for the official

opening of the 33rd Ordinary SADC Heads of State and

Government Summit. This is a historic moment, which will

accord us the opportunity to share the SADC Agenda and

vision with the citizens of Malawi.

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I wish to extend a very warm welcome to you, Your

Excellencies, Honourable Ministers, Invited Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen, to Malawi, the Warm Heart of

Africa. This is an occasionthat we the citizens of Malawi,

shall forever cherish.

I wish to reaffirm our commitment to the ideals of SADC

and that we are ready and willing to play our part in

furthering the SADC mandate and Programme of Action

as stipulated in the founding documents of our regional

grouping.

Let me pay tribute to my Dear Brother, the Outgoing

Chair of SADC, His Excellency Armando Emilio

Guebuza, President of the Republic of Mozambique

who steered this regional organisation with commitment

and wisdom, and the Outgoing Chair of the Organ, His

Excellency, President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, who with

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his colleagues remained alert and responded efficiently to

all political challenges that necessitated their attention.

I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate My Dear

Brother His Excellency Comrade Gabriel Robert Mugabe,

President of the Republic of Zimbabwe and the people of

Zimbabwe for conducting peaceful elections. We wish to

assure the Government and the people of Zimbabwe of

our continued support as a member of this family.

Your Excellencies and Distinguished Delegates

From this Opening Session, we go to our Closed Session,

where we have a long and comprehensive agenda to deal

with over the next two days. I have no doubt that, through

commitment and wisdom, we shall be able to unpack

these issues, take appropriate decisions and provide

sound guidance to our Ministers, Senior Officials and the

Secretariat.

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I look forward to working with all of you, and the entire

team at the Secretariat. I have no doubt that through your

continued support and cooperation; the region shall

continue to advance its social, economic, and political

development agenda.

Your Excellencies and Distinguished Delegates

Malawi has many exotic places to offer in the area of

tourism, and it is my hope that you will all seize the

occasion, and take time to relax, after our meetings, by

sampling what the Warm Heart of Africa has to offer.

The people of Malawi are very welcoming and they will

receive you with open arms wherever you go.

Once again allow me to appreciate your presence here in

Malawi. This is indeed a great honour for us, to have the

region in our midst.

I wish you fruitful deliberations.

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I thank you for your attention.

Ngiyabonga

Muito Obrigado

Tatenda

Asante Sana

Zikomo

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welcome statement by her excellency the president sadc summit official opening

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