Lilian Patel is a Malawi

Malawi

The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...

an politician. Patel was foreign minister

Foreign minister

A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...

of her country from 2000-2004. Before that, she served as Minister of Health from 1999 to 2000, and as Minister of Women's and Children's' Affairs, Community Development and Social Welfare from 1996 to 1999.

After serving as foreign minister, she was Minister of Labour and Vocational Training from 2004 to 2005.