The delegations of the two countries agreed to analyse the possibility of building a gas pipeline from Rovuma to Malawi for the import of
Mozambique and Malawi will study the possibility of building a pipeline linking the Rovuma gas reserves off Cabo Delgado to Malawian territory, the two countries announced today in a joint statement.
“The delegations of the two countries agreed to analyse the possibility of building a gas pipeline from Rovuma to Malawi for the import of gas from Mozambique by the neighbouring country, ” reads the document consulted by Lusa.
The statement includes the decisions taken during the visit of Malawi’s head of state, Lazarus Chakwera, to Mozambique, between Thursday and Sunday.
The visit took place at a time when Malawi is one of the countries supporting the fight against terrorism in Cabo Delgado as part of the military mission of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
In addition to the gas pipeline, and still in the energy sector, the two countries agreed to “negotiate a possible ‘joint venture’ for the development of a hydroelectric dam at the Zoa Falls”, on the Ruo river, which establishes the border between the two countries, “with a capacity of 41 megawatts”. [Ruo River is the largest tributary of the Shire River in southern Malawi and Mozambique. It originates from the Mulanje Massif and forms 80 km of the Malawi-Mozambique border].
Mozambique also obtained the green light from Malawi for the development of the 1.9 megawatt Berua mini-hydro for sharing between the populations of Milanje in Mozambique and Thyolo in Malawi.
There was also agreement on Malawi’s proposal to start negotiations with Mozambique on “the establishment of a diplomatic data corridor on the Internet, to allow Malawi to connect to the fibre optic cable in Mozambique”.
In terms of culture and language, the joint communiqué refers to the decision to “introduce Portuguese language teaching among Malawians and the training of Malawian diplomats at a diplomatic university in Mozambique”.
Malawi shares most of its border with northern and central Mozambique, a country that allows it access to the Indian Ocean for access to goods and from which it obtains part of the energy it consumes.
