PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda returned home from Malawi where he had travelled for an urgent meeting with his Malawian counterpart Bingu wa Mutharika yesterday and said the discussions were fruitful.

Speaking on arrival at Lusaka International Airport, he said the meeting, although called at short notice, went on well as Dr Mutharika, the current African Union (AU) chairperson needed to discuss important issues about the region with President Banda, who is the Great Lakes Region chairperson.

President Banda was meet on arrival by Vice-President George Kunda, Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha, Home Affairs Minister Lameck Mangani and Lusaka Province Minister Charles Shawa, among others.

"The meeting went on well, it was a meeting called at short notice but there was need for the current chairperson of the AU and Great Lakes Region to discuss few issues on behalf of the region," Mr said.

He also said apart from discussing issues affecting the region, the two leaders discussed the bilateral relations between Zambia and Malawi.

"We talked for about two hours and broke up for lunch and I also visited their new Parliament buildings, which they are building with the support from China," Mr Banda said.