BLANTYRE--Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said "there has been such a lot of excitement" about Malawi because of the kind of leadership Pres Joyce Banda has shown.
 
"This has come about because of the leadership she has shown," Blair said at the beginning of his two-day official visit to Malawi Thursday evening at Banda's official residence of Sanjika in Blantyre. "There is an enormous amount of hope and expectation. These are challenging times, difficult times of course."
 
Blair, who heads the Africa Governance Initiative, said he was ready to assist Malawi in whatever way he could.
 
"I want to put it on record my admiration and respect for the way she has set about her task and if we can help in any way it will be a great delight for us," he said.
 
Pres Banda said she told the former British premier that her government has put in place a recovery plan "to deal with challenges of political and economic governance" that her government inherited.
 
"My government has decided to promote a private sector-led economic growth," she said.
 
Banda assured Blair that her government will ensure "stability in political governance and democracy as well as my government's commitment to respect for rule of law, freedoms and rights as enshrined in our Constitution."
 
On Friday Blantyre hosts an "Investment Roundtable discussion" with various business captains in Blantyre.
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©2012 The Maravi Post. Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgment.