New British High Commissioner pledges to strengthen bilateral relations between UK, Malawi

Malawi: Ms. Fiona Ritchie, the British High Commissioner, presented her letters of credence to President Lazarus Chakwera on August 4, 2022, at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe.

Ms Ritchie stated that she has been in this country as the Head of Cooperation for the last 18 months and is aware of all of the critical challenges that this country is facing, and she has pledged to continue working tirelessly for the country's economic growth.

The new UK envoy to Malawi expressed her delight and honour at being appointed British High Commissioner to further strengthen the two countries' warm and historic ties.

“The UK is proud of its long and deep friendship with Malawi and I look forward to taking this partnership to even greater heights, championing Malawi in the UK and internationally and supporting Malawi’s own ambitions to drive economic growth, promote freedom and democracy, and deliver accountable public services for its people,” said Ritchie.

Meanwhile, President Lazarus Chakwera said: “During our interface, we discussed how her tour of duty is expected to positively impact the Malawi-UK relations in improving trade, investment, and governance. We have agreed to continue collaborating on all issues of mutual interest to strengthen our historic ties and attain shared prosperity for our people.”

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nancy Tembo, stated in her remarks that they believe Ms. Ritchie will be beneficial to Malawi.

"Ms. Richie promised to keep up the good work in the country. We hope she will encourage British investment in Malawi and expand the collaboration that already exists with the ministries of education and health, as well as support Malawi in international forums," she stated.

Ritchie was Development Director at the British High Commission in Lilongwe before becoming British High Commissioner. She has worked in the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office in the United Kingdom in a variety of capacities. She has also represented the United Kingdom at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, as well as supported development programs in South Sudan, Afghanistan, and Iraq.