The new Norwegian Ambassador to Malawi, Asbjorn Eidhammer Asjon Edama says Malawi is an important partner in Africa and that relationship with his country is very sound.

The Norwegian envoy  said this when he presented his credentials to the Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Malawi Defence Forces, President Bingu wa Mutharika at State House at the New State House in Lilongwe on Wednesday.

”As an important partner in Africa.  We discussed with the President the future of Malawi and on how we can help in the programmes,” he told reporters after Mutharika, who recently deported British diplomat, received his letters of credence.

Norway’s Eidhammer presents his credential letters to President Mutharika 

He presented his letters of credence after Norway and Iceland issued a statement that despite Malawi’s soured diplomatic relations with Britain, their support and service to the people of Malawi will not change.

But the two countries condemned the deportation of British High Commissioner Fergus Cochrane-Dyet, saying it is wrong and “unjustified”.

“We, the heads of mission in Malawi representing Iceland and Norway are, like the European Union Delegation and the EU heads of mission in Malawi, deeply concerned and surprised about the expulsion of the British High Commissioner to Malawi. We consider that decision to be unjustified and inappropriate,” reads the statement which was signed by Jan Hakon Olsson, charge d’affaires, the Royal Norwegian Embassy, and Stefan Jon Hafstein, charge d’affaires of the Embassy of Iceland.

Norway ambassador Edama pledged his country’s continued support to Malawi, notably in the health sector, Agriculture and the consolidation of democracy among other development programmes.

“We shall also help the country in the mitigation of climate change, among others,” he said.

In areas such as health, education and good governance, part of Norwegian development assistance has been directed through UN agencies such as United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Development Programme.

Norway has also been assisting Malawi in the overall context of the democratic development of the country.—(Reporting by Judith Moyo, Nyasa Times)