President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika’s effort to have one on one talks with Tanzania President John Magufuli over the Lake Malawi border dispute at the ongoing United Nation General Assembly in New York have hit a snag following the latter absence at the meeting.

The border dispute Tanzania and Malawi resurfaced earlier this month with Mugufuli’s government issuing a new map claiming that part of the Lake belongs to them.

The development raised pressure among Malawians but Chief Secretary to the President George Mkondiwa issued a statement urging government to officials to disregard the Map issued by Tanzania, saying Map is not true.

The development also prompted President Mutharika to arrange talks with Magufuli during the UNGA meeting in United States.

But the talks have been called off following failure by Magufuli due to an Earthquake that hit the country recently claiming over 19 lives.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Corporation Francis Kasaila confirmed of the development in an interview with the press.

“I can confirm that the meeting between Mutharika and Magufuli over Lake Border dispute has been called off,” said Kasaila.

Kasaila said Mutharika has since assigned Tanzania Minister of Foreign Affairs and him to arrange another meeting soon.

The dispute between Malawi and Tanzania over the lake started in 2011 when the government of Malawi our oil & gas exploration licences in the eastern shoreline of the Lake that Tanzania regards to be within its sovereign jurisdiction.

The potential for lucrative revenue streams to be generated from the exploitation of oil & gas resources in this region has further encouraged the dispute.

From a legal perspective it appears that Malawi has a legitimate right in asserting its sovereignty along the Lake’s eastern shoreline.

The border between Malawi and Tanzania was initially demarcated by colonial powers, Britain and Germany, in terms of the Heligoland Treaty of 1890 (Treaty).