MALAWI: VOTING FOR KOSOVO'S WORLD BANK MEMBERSHIP

UNCLAS LILONGWE 000252 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EFIN PREL MI SUBJECT: MALAWI: VOTING FOR KOSOVO'S WORLD BANK MEMBERSHIP REF: A. SECSTATE 47369 ¶B. SECSTATE 43681 ¶1. Malawi voted in favor of Kosovo's membership in the IMF and has informed Post that it has voted in favor of its World Bank membership as well. ¶2. Malawi's Minister of Finance and Minister of Economic Planning and Development (MEPD) serve as Governor and Alternate Governor, respectively, to the World Bank. Both Ministers have recently been out of Lilongwe campaigning for national elections on May 19 and have been unavailable to discuss the World Bank vote. Emboffs delivered Ref. B demarche to the Secretary to the Treasury (the equivalent of the Principal Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, who also serves as Malawi's Alternate Governor to the IMF),and to the Principal Secretary at MEPD. ¶3. The Department Director at MEPD responsible for processing Malawi's World Bank ballot subsequently informed Emboff that Malawi had submitted a Yes vote on Kosovo's membership to the World Bank. BODDE