By Jones Gadama
Malawi’s Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Dr. Ben Malunga Phiri, has received glowing commendation from European Union Ambassador to Malawi Daniel Aristi Gaztelumendi following a high-level courtesy meeting in Lilongwe on Tuesday.
The two leaders met to strengthen cooperation on Malawi’s decentralization and rural development priorities.
Ambassador Gaztelumendi briefed Dr. Phiri on three EU-backed flagship initiatives currently being rolled out nationwide: UCHI, the Boma Lathu project, and the Regional Response to Climate Displacement programme, known as RE2CLID.
The projects focus on sustainable development, community empowerment, and improving service delivery at council level.
Dr. Phiri welcomed the EU’s continued partnership and emphasized the need for targeted investment in building the capacity of councils and local officials.
He said stronger local governance structures are critical if Malawians are to feel the impact of development at grassroots level.
He also pledged government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for donor-funded projects to succeed.
In what stood out during the engagement, Ambassador Gaztelumendi said he was struck by Dr. Phiri’s openness and warmth.
Speaking separately to this publication after the meeting, the EU envoy described the minister as “the best minister — so charming, always smiling, and deeply development-oriented.”
“I felt truly welcomed,” Gaztelumendi said, adding that,“Minister Phiri listens, he understands local issues, and he speaks the language of development. That kind of leadership makes partnership easy and productive. I am equally impressed with his vision for inclusive growth.”
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening local government systems and ensuring development leaves no Malawian behind.
The EU delegation noted that Malawi’s decentralization agenda aligns closely with the bloc’s priorities for democratic governance and resilience to climate shocks.
With the new projects expected to reach more districts this year, the meeting signals deeper EU-Malawi collaboration in empowering communities from the bottom up.
