(Communicated by the Office of the President)

President Reuven Rivlin, today (Tuesday, 2 September 2014), at the President's Residence in Jerusalem, met with Malawi Vice President Saulos Chilima, who is on a working visit to Israel. President Rivlin welcomed his guest to Israel and said: "Mr. Vice President, it is a great honor and a great pleasure and satisfaction to have you as our guest in our state, the Jewish and democratic State of Israel. I would like to congratulate you about the election, I would like to congratulate the President and I would like you to send the message of the congratulations of all the people of Israel. We see your state as a real friend to the State of Israel. We have a lot in common."

President Rivlin recalled that Malawi was one of the few African countries that did not sever relations with Israel following the 1973 Yom Kippur War, pointed out that the two countries have enjoyed full diplomatic relations since Malawi's independence in 1964 and recalled former President Hastings Banda's 1968 speech to the Knesset. The President referred to the growing importance of Africa in global affairs and thanked Malawi Vice President Chilima for the recent deepening of bilateral relations.

President Rivlin discussed the importance of water resource management in Israel in general and for Israeli agriculture in particular, and commended bilateral cooperation in the fields of water resource management and agriculture.

Malawi Vice President Chilima congratulated President Rivlin on his recent election and said: "We are very grateful for the opportunity to meet. Let me also say thank you very much for the warm reception." He commended the state of bilateral relations and said that the members of his delegation looked forward to learning from Israeli know-how in agriculture, water resource management, health services and education.