India and Malawi officials recently met in Lilongwe city when they discussed multilateral issues of mutual interest which include UN Security Council reforms.

"The two sides agreed to continue high-level political exchanges and regular meetings of the joint institutional mechanisms to keep the partnership vibrant and mutually beneficial," read a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on Friday on the second Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) meet.

The Indian side was led by Puneet R. Kundal, Joint Secretary (East & Southern Africa ) and the Malawi side was led by Bernard H. Sande, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malawi.

During the FOC, both delegations reviewed their wide-ranging bilateral relationship, covering political exchanges, development partnership, defence cooperation, trade and economic matters, consular issues and cooperation in areas such as Agriculture, Education, Health, Mines & Minerals, Digital Technology, Renewable Energy, Art & Culture, etc.

Both sides agreed to further diversify cooperation in various areas to further strengthen this relationship.

"During the FOC, both delegations reviewed their wide-ranging bilateral relationship, covering political exchanges, development partnership, defence cooperation, trade and economic matters, consular issues and cooperation in areas such as Agriculture, Education, Health, Mines & Minerals, Digital Technology, Renewable Energy, Art & Culture, etc. Both sides agreed to further diversify cooperation in various areas to further strengthen this relationship," read the statement.

The Indian side invited Malawi to join the Coalition for Disaster, Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA).

During the meeting, it was agreed that the next round of Consultations will be held on mutually convenient dates in 2024 in New Delhi.