Obama dispatched newly appointed Middle East envoy George Mitchell to the region and tapped diplomatic heavyweight Richard Holbrooke as his special representative to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The visit, which came a day after former British Prime Minister Tony Blair made his first trip as new Mideast peace envoy, is part of a flurry of diplomatic efforts meant to restart peace talks after a seven-year lull.
Last year, Mutharika expelled a British envoy who was quoted criticizing him in a leaked diplomatic cable, straining relations with one of Malawi's largest foreign donors.