Iceland and Malawi started bilateral relations in 1989. The Embassy of Iceland in Lilongwe was formally opened in 2004. From the outset, the collaboration has focused on development cooperation in one district in Malawi; Mangochi. Originally the support targeted the fisheries sector of Lake Malawi but as time went by, expanded to the social sectors of education and health. Current programme support, which started in July 2012 and will come to an end in 2021, aims to strengthen the delivery of basic services in the district through providing the Mangochi District Council with support in these areas: improved provision and use of basic services; in maternal health and family planning, primary education, water and sanitation, and community development, for men and women living in rural Mangochi District.

• Development Cooperation between Iceland and Malawi.